Revolution of Life
by NightmareWalker
Summary: Maura, an Irish smuggler who captains a cargo ship, puts in at Boston Harbor to unload and finds herself caught up in the problems of a shopowner's daughter. Jane, fearful for her freedom, runs with the chance to come into her own and escape a bad situation. Together, they find their independence. Prompt from CReynhout. Rizzles, rated M for language, slurs, general bigotry, smut.
1. We the People

Hey, y'all, long time no see! Working on a few different fics at the moment, and this one is only going to be around four chapters long (if the damn thing doesn't get away from me...) so I figured I'd start posting it now. Let me know your thoughts, I'm curious as to whether I'm doing this correctly or not. Let me know about the speech, terms, etc, guys, thanks!

Prompt from CReynhout – 'Not sure if I have seen Pirate Jane anywhere. To your knowledge has this been written? If not, would you consider it?'

Not _exactly_ Pirate!Jane, but I think you'll like this anyway ;) At least, I hope you will!

Read on!

 **Chapter 1**

On the deck of a massive cargo ship, crewmen huffed and pulled on the ropes tying the sails in place. One man scurried up the mast and worked furiously at a knotted rope, gripping the slick pole with his thighs to keep from falling. Below, he heard the men grunting and cursing at each other as the stubborn rigging continued to stick, then an eerie silence suddenly descended. He ceased his yanking and stared down at the deck beneath him, squinted eyes following the direction every other crewmate's head was turned. His faded blue eyes widened and he almost fell off the mast in his haste to return to the rain and sea-slick deck.

He stood rigidly alongside the others, eyes locked on the captain's covered head. Clean, heeled black boots added a couple inches to her otherwise diminutive stature, her legs were covered by dark blue leggings, tucked into the boots, and a slim belt buckled around her waist kept her white tunic from fluttering too much in the lingering breeze. The sleeves were rolled up to her elbows and the laces tied loosely so a titillating glimpse of the top of her breasts was given with every gust of wind. Keen hazel eyes stared at them from beneath a dark bandana, honey blonde hair gathered beneath it so the strands stayed away from her face. "What seems tae be the problem, gents?"

One hesitant sailor, a bulky man with scarred knuckles and weathered eyes stepped forward. "The rigging be stuck, ma'am. The storm bundled it up right and tight."

"Did ye nae think tae climb atop the mast an' have a look-see?" Her rich, Irish voice was light, belying the tightness around her mouth and eyes.

The sailor scrambled for an answer and the man who had climbed up and down the rigging kept silent, eyes lowered and shoulders curved to withdraw into himself. "We – ya see, ma'am, we ain't quite – that is-"

"Clarity, Mister Rueben. 'Tis nae a woman ye speak tae, but yer captain. Say yer piece concisely an' quickly." He stammered again and rolled his cap anxiously between his hands. She sighed and strode closer, the light thump of her boots hitting the wooden deck deafening in the silence amongst the waves. She stood before him, dwarfed by his burly frame even with her boots, and he visibly cowered. "Well, Mister Rueben? What have ye tae say for yeself?"

"I, ahm, that is," He breathed shakily and swallowed, "no, ma'am." He glanced down at her briefly but quickly turned his eyes away. He flinched when she raised her hand, sighing imperceptibly in relief when she only pointed at the jammed rigging.

"I wan' someone up there immediately. Now, if ye please." A small, wiry man hastily climbed up the ropes to the sails and stared down at her, waiting for her to speak again. "'Tis simply a case o' force versus angle, gents. If ye please, Mister Hasting, give it a good yank toward yer stomach, aye?" The man complied and, with a loud whoosh of air and the sound of loosened fabric, the enormous sail finally gave way. She nodded firmly and faced Mister Rueben. "Sae, what should ye have done in the first place, Mister Reuben?"

"…gone to ye, ma'am?"

"Aye, 'tis so." She nodded gravely and Mister Reuben swallowed roughly. She turned to face the rest of the crew. "Now, lads, we have some very…importan' items we need tae get tae Boston wit'in the week, sae nae more slouchin', aye?" Around her, there was a chorus of 'ayes' and she straightened, lifting her chin imperiously. "Answer me true, gents, will we sail intae Boston harbor come the end o' the week?"

"Aye, Captain Isles!"

She nodded and her lips tweaked upward in a smile. "Good. Back tae work then, ye ken?" They nodded and scattered, two very relieved sighs getting lost in the sounds of surf and wind and the groaning of the woodwork.

* * *

As the ship docked in Boston, the crew hurried to tie off the sails and lower the anchor with a loud splash into the harbor. The captain stood beside the yet-to-be-lowered ramp, staring at the bustling city with a gleam in her eyes. Her first mate walked up behind her and stood with his hands behind his back, shoulders squared in a position reminiscent of the military. His deep brown eyes studied her back, the tense set of her shoulders, and he quickly ran a hand through his short, curly black hair. "Captain?" She didn't answer and he tried again, to no avail. "Maura?"

The use of her first name got her attention and she turned with a frown on her lips. "Mister Frost, I've asked ye nae tae call me that in public."

"Aye, ma'am, but you were off in your head again. Just a slip, ma'am."

She nodded and returned her faraway gaze to the nearby dock. "See it dannae happen again, ye ken?"

"Aye, ma'am. Where to first?"

Her finger dug a shallow path along the varnished wood. "We have an appointmen' with our buyer 'fore we venture any farther. Fetch the papers fer me, Mister Frost?" He left her alone and a crewman silently lowered the gangplank. She walked down it to the dock, planting her feet until she was certain she wouldn't fall over with the lack of movement beneath her. She took a breath of the air, scented with the ocean and the pungent smells of the city, and turned when she heard her first mate's heavy steps. "Come along, Mister Frost. We cannae keep them waitin', aye?"

They strode away from the docks, losing themselves in the bustle of the city, Frost close by her side warding off curious passersby who stopped to gawk at the woman in mens' clothes. Maura didn't give them a second glance, keen eyes skirting over the high born and rough alike without fear. The crowd parted before them, leaving ample space to travel to their first rendezvous. Frost handed her the sheaf of papers and she glanced at them once more while they stood outside the tavern, raucous laughter and curses already audible in the midday sun. Once inside, Frost made a beeline for the bar while Maura found a seat just out of sight of the other patrons, on the wall, facing the front door as well as having a view of the door to the kitchen.

She folded her hands on the table to stop their fidgeting and twitched her lips upward when Frost returned with two plates of hot food, two mugs of drink grasped precariously in his other hand. They dug in silently, two sets of eyes waiting for the arrival of their buyer, and Frost paused when Maura nudged him beneath the table, eyes locked on the front door. In the mirror behind the bar, he saw a tall, dark haired man, square of jaw and broad of shoulder, slip into the room and peer around with suspicious eyes. Maura snorted into her mug and muttered, "Barmy fool, he dannae have a lick o' sense tae be _subtle_."

The moment he caught her eyes, the man strode over purposefully and stood at the end of the table. "Miss Isles, I presume?"

Maura sighed and stared into her mug for a moment. "Have a seat, Mister Faulkner. 'Twill be nary a moment tae finish my meal."

"I'd prefer to have this whole business sorted-"

"Aye, an' we will, but now, _sit,_ Ian." She gestured at the chair beside her and he reluctantly took it. She took another sip of her drink, watching him fidget from the corner of her eye. "Are ye nae hungry, Mister Faulkner? I kin have the maid bring ye a plate, 'tis quite good."

She gestured at the bar and Ian covered her hand, lowering it to the table. "I would rather not. If you would be so kind as to-"

"I will nae be kind if'n ye dannae remove yer hand from me at once, ye ken?" She glared at his hand still on her forearm and he pulled it back like he'd been burnt. She nodded once and Frost fought to keep his grin from showing, settling for glowering at the man seated across from him. Ian squirmed under his gaze and Maura smirked into her mug. They finished eating, purposely taking their time the more the man fidgeted, and Maura sighed happily as she sat back. "Mister Frost, give us some space, aye?" Frost nodded and stepped away from the table, leaning against the bar several yards away.

Maura leaned closer to Ian, reveling in his nervous gaze that flitted between her eyes and the holster of her pistol slung at her hip. "Now, I believe we have some business tae conduct?" Her raised eyebrow and twinkling eyes flustered Ian and he flushed and stuttered, looking anywhere but at her. "Speak up, Mister Faulkner, I dannae have all day tae entertain ye."

He bristled and leaned toward her with fire in his eyes. "Now, see here, Miss Isles-"

"Ye will address me as Ma'am or Captain Isles, nothin' else, ye ken?"

"I will do no such thing!"

"Then our business here is concluded."

Maura pushed back the chair and Frost wandered over to her. Ian stood hastily from his chair and held up his hands placatingly. "Now, now, there's no need to be hasty-"

"I disagree, Mister Falkner, and if'n ye find yerself unable tae deal with such as meself, I'll gladly leave ye tae yer own musin'." She jerked her head and she and Frost left the table.

Ian jolted on his feet and grabbed her bicep to keep her in place. "No, please!-" He saw a flash of hazel, then landed hard on his back with Maura astride his hips, one hand at the nape of his neck, holding him in place, while the other wielded a menacing dagger. The steel blade kissed his throat lightly and he swallowed, wincing as the razor edge bit into his skin briefly.

"Nae, I thought we had an accord, Mister Faulkner?" Her voice was quiet and level, deadly calm and dangerous. "Ye dannae touch me, an' I give ye what ye asked for." He found himself unable to answer as the dagger bit once again. He felt a bead of warm blood slip off the slope of his neck and struggled not to panic. "If'n ye cannae abide by me rules, _then_ we have no more tae say tae each other."

She lifted the blade away from his neck enough so he could answer, although he could almost feel the skin-warmed steel against his adam's apple with every word. "I won't do it again, I promise. I just – need those items I asked you to procure for me." The blade teased his skin again and he ground out, "Please."

Maura smiled coldly and got off his hips, sheathing the dagger on her person and taking a seat once more. At her back, Frost crossed his arms over his chest and smirked down at the other man. Ian slowly got to his feet, never taking his eyes of Maura as he sat in the chair across from her. "Nae that we've agreed tae be civil, let's commence with our business, aye?" She pulled a sheaf of papers from underneath her tunic and set them on the table between them. "A shipment of medicine, blankets, tools for yer practice, along with other, more…delicate items."

Her fingernail tapped the papers contemplatively. "Now, if'n I recall, we agreed that ye would pay me this amount fer the entire shipment," she said, tapping a handwritten number in the margins of the paper. Ian nodded and reached for the coin purse at his hip, freezing when Maura shook her head. "In light o' recent events, I believe I should receive that much, plus half again."

Ian's brows dug low over his eyes and he snarled. "I won't pay a pound more than what we agreed on, you pirate bitch! We already came to an accord, now _honor_ your word!" Frost stiffened and set a hand on the butt of his pistol while Ian leaned across the table, breathing heavily over Maura who sat calmly staring at him. Her hair fluttered with every harsh breath of his, hazel eyes meeting his fearlessly.

"Mister Faulkner, ye may nae knae this, but the Brits are quite diligent in their duty tae keep anyone…unsavory…from crossin' the ocean with less than legal goods. I think I've more than earned the coin, considerin' what we went through tae get it here, tae _you_." She stood and pressed her palms to the table, leaning so close that his eyes crossed. "Nae, if'n ye want the goods, ye'll be payin' for them. Elsewise, I've got another buyer glad tae pay my price." She waited a heartbeat, staring into his eyes, and smirked when the light went out of them. He sat heavily and she followed, delicately crossing one boot over the other. "Sae, the payment then?"

Ian set the coin purse on the table between them. "That should cover it," he muttered sullenly.

Maura nodded and Frost stepped forward to empty the pouch onto the table, muffling the clink of coins with the fabric. He set to counting them, drawing Ian's gaze. The man narrowed his eyes in confusion as he studied Frost, unaware of Maura's knowing gaze. "Ye think jes' 'cause he's of colored skin, that means he cannae learn, aye?"

Ian's head jerked back to her, surprised he was caught gawking. "No negro can count higher than the hands on his hands, they are simply incapable of higher cognitive abilities." He sounded assured and Frost's fingers curled around his pistol.

Maura set her hand on his forearm, squeezing in warning, before returning her attention to Ian, who had watched the exchange with interest. "Nae, Mister Faulkner, ye shouldnae be insultin' me crew like that, 'specially me good friend, Mister Frost. I'd keep yer mouth shut if'n ye want tae walk out o' here under yer own power."

He quailed beneath her eyes and lowered his deferentially, swallowing and folding his hands demurely on the table while Frost continued counting silently. A few minutes later, he nodded to Maura, who swept the coins back into the purse and hid them on her person, the entire hefty bag disappearing into the confines of her tunic. "Glad tae be concludin' our business with ye, Mister Faulkner. Come tae the docks in two days' time, an' we'll get ye loaded with yer goods an' be outtae yer hair. Good day." She dipped her head at him and she and Frost left the tavern, weaving through the throng of people crowding the streets. They stopped at a wide boulevard and Maura smiled up at Frost, the stern set of her face settling into a young and mischievous expression. "Nae, Mister Frost, what trouble shall we get intae today?"


	2. Let it Begin Here

Welcome back, and Happy Easter to those of you who celebrate it, whether you practice the belief behind the holiday or are just in it for the food (like me!). Here's a gift for you *drops chapter* Working on the next currently, as well as percolating over a couple other ideas for fanfics.

Before I forget, trigger warning, language warning, whatever you wanna call it; regardless, there is some seriously salty language in this chapter. Not much, but it's, uhm...archaic? Not nice words, take my word for it.

Read on!

* * *

 _Maura set her hand on his forearm, squeezing in warning, before returning her attention to Ian, who had watched the exchange with interest. "Nae, Mister Faulkner, ye shouldnae be insultin' me crew like that, 'specially me good friend, Mister Frost. I'd keep yer mouth shut if'n ye want tae walk out o' here under yer own power."_

 _He quailed beneath her eyes and lowered his deferentially, swallowing and folding his hands demurely on the table while Frost continued counting silently. A few minutes later, he nodded to Maura, who swept the coins back into the purse and hid them on her person, the entire hefty bag disappearing into the confines of her tunic. "Glad tae be concludin' our business with ye, Mister Faulkner. Come tae the docks in two days' time, an' we'll get ye loaded with yer goods an' be outtae yer hair. Good day." She dipped her head at him and she and Frost left the tavern, weaving through the throng of people crowding the streets. They stopped at a wide boulevard and Maura smiled up at Frost, the stern set of her face settling into a young and mischievous expression. "Nae, Mister Frost, what trouble shall we get intae today?"_

* * *

 **Chapter 2**

The duo wound their way through the crowded streets, further inland toward the shops that lined parts of the city. Maura walked slightly ahead of Frost, head swaying this way and that as she took in the sights offered. "I would like tae purchase some goods 'fore we set sail again, Mister Frost. T'will keep the crewmen happy, an' I admit, oranges an' smoked meat get tedious after so long at sea." She abruptly cut through an intersection, walking fearlessly in front of an oncoming carriage and ignoring the irate driver when he yelled at her from the bench. His horse squealed and hopped sideways in shock as Frost scrambled to keep up, offering a conciliatory smile at the man as he passed.

"Damned woman! Get out of the street, you've no sense in that addled head of yours!" With another curse, he snapped the reins against the carriage horse's withers and passed by behind them. Maura paused on the other side of the street, catching Frost's eyes.

"That was foolish, ma'am."

"Aye, maybe it was," she agreed easily, a playful smile playing about her lips, "but it was thrillin' as well, an' gave me insight tae the mood o' this city." Did ye notice tha' nae a person turned their head, or spoke up? We'll gain nae sympathy if'n we get intae trouble here, sae keep a sharp eye, ye ken?"

Frost nodded and they set off again, deeper into the maze of buildings and colorful cloth that fluttered overhead from laundry lines. Maura slowed in front of a shabby storefront, window grimy and stoop unswept. "Captain?"

"Oftimes, Mister Frost, the less remarkable a shop seems, the more discreet they are." Undeterred by the unkempt façade, she pushed through the door and her eye swept over the inside. Shelves sparsely stocked, counter likewise bare of goods and the interior devoid of life, the shop seemed deserted. Maura strode up to the counter, boots echoing dully against the worn floorboards, and rapped sharply against the varnished wood. A few seconds later, they heard a scuffle behind the door at the back of the shop and it swung open briefly to admit a woman before closing again.

"Good day, can I help you?"

The first thing Frost noticed was the slight accent in the woman's voice, a curl around certain letters that hid beneath her rasp and enticed the ear to listen. An unruly mass of black hair framed a feminine but strong jaw and chin. Dark eyes watched them attentively and a dimple flashed briefly as an uncomfortable smile ghosted across her lips, then she was standing before the duo, hands clasped in front of her dress. The second thing he saw was the way Maura couldn't take her eyes off the young woman, and the way rich brown eyes bounced between he and his captain, lingering on Maura's face longer and longer each time.

"Aye, maybe ye kin. What's a bonnie lass such as yerself doin' here all alone?" Maura leaned against the counter, crossing her ankles and flashing a grin at the woman as she blushed.

"I run the shop during the day, ma'am-"

"Maura, dear."

"Pardon?"

Frost hid a grin behind his hand as he faked a yawn, watching in amusement as the flustered store clerk shifted on her feet. Maura's stance was all self-assured confidence as she leaned more against the counter, and the other woman could barely look her in the eyes as she fidgeted with her hands.

"Ye kin call me Maura, if'n it pleases ye."

"Miss Maura," she breathed softly, fighting to keep eye contact, "how may I help you?"

"Well, first," Maura said, tapping her finger against her lip considerately, "ye kin give me yer name."

"I, uhm, my – I mean, Jane. My name. I mean-" Jane blushed, her olive skin darkening under Maura's amused gaze, and abruptly turned away. "What do you need?"

"We've jus' come intae port today, an' we've found ourselves in dire need o' supplies fer the return trip. Kin ye help us?"

Jane gestured at the half empty shelves helplessly. "You're more than welcome to what is here, and there are a few crates in the back I have yet to unload, but otherwise…"

"Tis nae problem, we'll jus' have a look-see an' figure out if'n there's anythin' we kin buy from ye." Maura gestured for Frost to look at the stock as she continued to speak with Jane, who stuttered over her words more often than not and quickly became quiet in lieu of embarrassing herself further.

"Can you show us what you have in the back, Miss Jane?"

Jane led them through the door she had appeared from and took the tops off several crates set in the storeroom, which Maura and Frost noticed had a back door and a set of stairs that disappeared beyond the landing above their heads. "There's cured meat, some dried fruit, other odds and ends in that box," she waved at another crate in the corner, half blocking the back door.

Frost rooted through the crates nearest himself as Maura's eyes roved over the small space with interest, flicking repeatedly toward the shadowed landing overhead. "Where does it lead tae?"

"The stairs? It goes to the apartment."

"I assume ye live there then?" Maura watched Jane's face abruptly shut down, eyes shuttering and facial muscles suddenly tightening.

"I do."

"Do ye live alone?"

"Why are you so interested?"

Maura looked over Jane's shoulder at Frost, who had caught her eyes and was shaking his head, making a cutting motion across his throat as he tried to get her to change the topic of conversation. She ignored him, fixing her gaze on Jane again, and nearly grinned when her friend threw up his hands in defeat. "'Tis merely a curious inquiry, dear. Ye aren' tryin' tae hide anythin' from me, are ye?"

Hazel eyes watched with interest as Jane averted her gaze, dark eyes flicking up the stairway with some unknown emotion flitting through them. "I don't know you, what reason would I have to hide something from you?"

"Ye tell me, dear."

Jane's jaw ticked and her lips thinned, but before she could say anything, Frost diverted her attention. "You've got quite a few bolts of heavy cloth here."

"Yeah, uhm, they're from a customer's order, they got too much so we got the surplus."

"How much?"

Jane glanced at the material briefly. "A shilling per yard. There's thirty yards in each bolt, if you want the whole thing, it's a pound. Sound good?"

"That price seems a wee under cost. Are ye sure 'tis correct?"

"I know my own prices, Miss Maura," Jane bit out, dark eyes flashing combatively. "Do you want the cloth?"

"Aye, Miss Jane, and we'll take some of your dried goods as well. We'll need them for the return trip." Frost smoothly redirected Jane's attention away from Maura, drawing her eyes toward himself and smiling disarmingly at her.

Jane's shoulders dropped, a small sigh disturbing the motes of dust floating in the air. "Okay, that's fine. Come up front and we'll figure out a price for everything. Will you want it delivered?"

"That would be great, Miss Jane." Frost preceded Jane through the door into the front of the shop. "It would save us a lot of time."

"I can understand that. Alright, so how much do you want of everything?"

While Frost and Jane talked prices, Maura wandered through the aisles slowly, touching things occasionally and glancing at the two leaning on the counter. She watched Frost push a pouch of coin across the counter just as heavy, uneven steps became audible over their dickering and watched Jane's expression shift again. Her entire body seemed to draw into itself, lean forearms stiffening on top of the counter and the cords of her throat becoming visible as she swallowed. "Thank you for your business, I'll have this delivered as soo-"

A loud, slurred exclamation in Italian interrupted her rushed words, and Jane closed her eyes, breathing deeply. A compact man with graying hair and bloodshot eyes staggered through the storeroom door, leaning against a shelf as he saw Maura and Frost in the front.

"Papa, what are you doing up?"

"My shop, see what commotion is." His broken English was, despite the obvious difficulty he had enunciating, full of arrogant righteousness. His eyes first landed on Maura, lingering on the open ties of her shirt, before sliding over to Frost. "Nigger buys? Must have rich master…or sticky hands."

Frost's shoulders stiffened and Maura saw the eye visible to her widen, pupil shrinking. The man's eyes narrowed as he wobbled over to the counter and Maura caught the potent scent of sweat and liquor as he walked past her. He leaned heavily on the counter, eyeballing Frost suspiciously and the pouch obviously full of coin with greed. "You pay, you buy. Not my business." With a swipe, the heavy purse disappeared into his meaty hand, and he grinned in a pleased way.

Jane's brow furrowed in anger and she slapped her palm on the wooden counter. "Papa, that goes into the cash box!"

He waved her off lazily, wobbling a couple steps toward the back. Maura uneasily rested her hand on the butt of her pistol, hidden beneath the folds of her shirt, and watched the confrontation unfold. Jane grabbed the man's wrist and yanked, free hand gesticulating wildly as she broke into a flurry of Italian. He answered in kind, wrenching his hand away as his voice grew louder. Jane didn't back down, hackles rising when he advanced on her threateningly and waved the heavy purse in the air. Frost watched them attentively but still didn't react fast enough to stop the man when his hand swung through the air and made contact with Jane's cheek. Her head snapped to the side, the sound of skin hitting skin resounding in the suddenly silent shop. Jane's wild curls obscured any view of her face, although the way her chest heaved the tendons that appeared on her forearms was indicator enough of her state of mind. Maura felt her temper rise as the man said a few cutting words before he turned on his heel and disappeared through the door. His footsteps echoed through the store front, syncopated against Jane's heavy breaths.

"Jane, are ye alright?" Maura ventured quietly, taking a couple steps toward the counter.

"Please leave," she rasped, refusing to look at either of them.

"Will ye be safe here? I dannae want tae leave ye here with that – that-"

" _Please_ ," she entreated once more, turning her head enough to catch Maura's gaze with one dark eye through the tangled curtain of her hair.

Maura studied her for a long moment before consenting with a nod, jerking her head toward the door for Frost to exit. She paused in the doorway, glancing over her shoulder at the brunette. "Be safe, dear."

* * *

Fun fact: a yard of flannel in colonial America in the 1700s cost the equivalent of $5.60, one shilling and three pence. Old England's money system them was really screwy, just so ya know. Twelve pence in a shilling, twenty shillings in a pound, no nice and neat denominators there, _no¸_ that'd be entirely too easy.


	3. In Harm's Way

_"Jane, are ye alright?" Maura ventured quietly, taking a couple steps toward the counter._

 _"Please leave," she rasped, refusing to look at either of them._

 _"Will ye be safe here? I dannae want tae leave ye here with that – that-"_

 _"Please," she entreated once more, turning her head enough to catch Maura's gaze with one dark eye through the tangled curtain of her hair._

 _Maura studied her for a long moment before consenting with a nod, jerking her head toward the door for Frost to exit. She paused in the doorway, glancing over her shoulder at the brunette. "Be safe, dear."_

* * *

 **Chapter 3**

Frost trailed behind Maura, watching the tense set of her shoulders as she stalked out onto the main thoroughfare, heedless of the passersby she shouldered past. "Ma'am, what are you doing? We have to get back to the ship."

She ignored him, walking through a group of young women being escorted by several older men, and sneered at one of them when she squeaked and jumped. "Do I frighten ye, little one? Are ye afraid o' the woman in men's clothes?" She smirked ferally, shifting enough so the butt of her pistol was visible. "Ye should be, sweetlin'. I kin terrorize men twice yer size; _you_ are nothin' but a bairn tae me. Run along tae yer keepers 'fore I decide tae bring ye with me instead." The young woman paled under her makeup and backed away quickly, nearly running into Frost in her haste to get away. Maura smirked as she fled and caught Frost's eyes, anger blazing in hazel depths.

"That was ill advised, ma'am. She could get the law on us."

"Let'er try," Maura snarled, fire flashing in her eyes. "I havenae had a good fight in too long; I could use the exertion, Mister Frost."

"We do not need them on us while we're here, Maura," he kept on, trying to press the need for discretion. Maura tossed her head, walking down the sidewalk again toward the more upkept shops. They slipped into several more stores that day, purchasing materials to mend the sails and a few small baubles that caught Maura's eyes, then made their way back to the ship. It was nearly deserted, most of her men gone ashore to spend their coin in the taverns and brothels that dotted the city. Maura was stopped when Frost set his hand on her shoulder and looked over at him. "Are you okay, ma'am?"

"I'm fine, Mister Frost, jus' a little wound still. I feel the need tae hit somethin' right now, tis nothin' serious." She smiled tightly and shrugged off his hand, retreating to her cabin under the light of the waxing moon. As she sat on her bed and pulled off her boots, she listened to the creak of the ship around her and the swell of the waves hitting the side of the vessel. She laid back on the soft bedding in an old shirt, bare legs crossed on the comforter as her thoughts turned inward, wondering how Jane was doing.

* * *

Early the next morning, Maura rolled out of bed quietly. She pulled her breeches on and a new shirt, lacing a corset over that to accent her curves. As she slipped out of her cabin, she took a glance across the deck of her ship. Satisfied no one was out, she jogged down the gangplank and onto the pier again, taking off quickly toward the shops with purpose lengthening her stride. As she turned down the grimy side street again, she eyed the storefront critically. The door was cracked open, drawing her gaze, and she silently strode over. Her eye widened as she peered through the crack and she violently threw open the door.

Goods were scattered throughout the shop haphazardly, shelves broken and splintered, the wooden counter marred with what looked like hatchet marks. Anything glass was scattered in broken shards across the floor, and someone had thrown some unsavory looking red liquid against the inside of the windows, filling the room with a pungent smell.

"Jane?"

There was no answer and Maura walked cautiously through the destruction toward the back room, where everything was relatively untouched, and she called out again. Receiving no answer, she moved to the bottom step of the stairs and paused briefly. As Maura neared the landing, she freed a small dagger from its hidden sheath beneath her corset and palmed the weapon as she turned the handle. The door opened soundlessly and the captain slid inside, ears perked for any wayward noises.

The small apartment was likewise trashed, lamp globes shattered against the walls, papers and books torn apart and scattered across the floor. The cupboards were open, dishes thrown across the room, and the worn furniture marred with deep gouges in the wood and upholstery. Sitting amidst the destruction, Jane stared blankly at a paper in her hands, apparently oblivious to the mess surrounding her in a violent halo.

"Jane?" Maura hesitantly maneuvered through the mess, stepping gingerly over glass and shredded papers and crouched beside Jane. She set her hand on her shoulder, watching the brunette flinch. Her eyes, glazed over and faraway, abruptly came back to the present and she stiffened. "Calm yerself, lass, I'll nae hurt ye."

"Miss Maura."

Jane's voice lacked any inflection and made Maura's brow furrow. She cautiously knelt beside her. "Jane, what happened?"

"They…they showed up this morning, dragged me and pop out of bed," she began quietly. Maura felt her temper rise with every tremor in her hands, the way Jane's throat bobbed with emotion. "Made us watch as they… _figlio di puttana_ _!_ " She threw the ruined paper away with a loud oath.

Maura watched her bite her lower lip to hide its trembling as she stood and angrily paced across the room, kicking the shattered remains of her home across the floor as fury swept over her features. She lifted her hands slowly, rising from the floor to approach Jane, carefully watching her face. "'Tis alright, m'dear." Jane growled irately, eyes dark with fury and the bruise on her cheek livid against the pallor of her skin. Maura took a couple steps closer, keeping her movements small and unthreatening. "Jus' sit ye down and let's talk this out, aye? Everythin' kin be fixed, t'will be alright."

"I was barely keeping us afloat beforehand, with that _bastardo_ drinking away whatever I made," Jane muttered, her accent growing thicker with every word. Her hands cut emphatically through the air and glass crunched underfoot. "Now, what do I have? A floor full of broken glass, unpaid bills… _dammit!_ " She turned on her heel and threw her fist at the wall, crying out when her knuckles bounced off the plaster. Four bloody impressions were left behind as she reared back with her other hand and Maura darted forward, arresting her wrist in her grasp.

"Are ye crazy, lass?"

"Let me go!"

Jane struggled against Maura's grip, but the captain valiantly hung onto her wrist, eventually pinning her arm between their bodies and locking her other arm around Jane's waist. "Calm yerself, Jane! Ye won' get anywhere hurtin' yerself!" They struggled back and forth, Jane scoring a couple good blows to Maura's midsection and arm, but eventually she stood still, panting for breath and head hung low. Maura took a couple deep breaths, wincing as her ribs protested the motion, and slowly eased up on her grip.

They remained standing together, Jane's muscles trembling with suppressed rage and Maura loosely holding her so she could feel each shuddering breath. She smoothed her palms down Jane's arms to her hands and grasped the left one, slowly walking in front of the brunette. Maura brought her knuckles up and looked at them, brushing her thumb across the abraded skin. "The secon' an' third metacarpophalangeal joints are swollen; ye shouldnae have done that, lass. Ye may have broken them, ye ken?" Jane stared at her blankly and Maura smirked. She held up Jane's hand, running her finger over her knuckles and chuckling when Jane hissed. "Yer knuckles, Jane. When ye hit the wall, ye injured them."

"Why couldn't you have just said that?"

"I did."

"You did _not._ "

Maura laughed again and stroked Jane's hand, noticing she had distracted the brunette somewhat. She led Jane over to a basin against the wall that had, miraculously, not been broken, and submerged her hand in the tepid water. Jane winced but allowed Maura to carefully wash it. "Where's yer bandages?"

"You don't have t-"

"Jane." Maura stared at her seriously until she squirmed and looked away, muttering to herself lowly in Italian. "I cannae understan' ye when ye speak like that. English, m'dear."

"Christ, _fine._ They're in the chest in my room."

Maura cocked her eyebrow and walked into a messy but kept up bedroom, glancing at the unmade bed and partially open wardrobe as she rooted through the trunk at the foot of Jane's bed. She walked back into the sitting room and dabbed at the abrasions with a cloth, coating the scrapes with a pungent smelling ointment and wrapping her hand carefully afterward. They stood in the midst of the wreckage, not looking at each other, and Maura heard Jane exhale loudly. She moved away from the captain toward the corner and reached for a stiff bristled broom.

"What're ye doin'?"

"Cleaning up." Jane shot Maura a look of incredulity.

"Aye, I kin _see_ that," she retorted, "but _why?_ " Jane didn't answer, although the look on her face clearly stated she didn't have an answer. Maura sighed, carding her fingers through her hair and displacing her bandana. The repetitive sound of bristles against wooden floors filled the silence between them and lulled Maura into a sense of complacency.

"Why are you here?"

Her head jerked up when Jane spoke and her eyes found the back of Jane's head. "I came tae see if'n ye were alright…after the little debacle yesterday." Jane paused briefly, shoulders stiffening under her dress, and then continued sweeping. Maura quietly padded up behind her, setting her hand on her shoulder and feeling the tense muscles under her palm twitch. "Are ye alright?"

"I'm fine."

"I dannae believe ye." She grasped Jane's shoulder and forcibly turned her around, waiting for dark eyes to meet hers. Slowly lifting her hand, she tucked a loose strand of hair behind Jane's ear and cupped her bruised cheek tenderly. "Tisn't right, what he did tae ye."

"I know." Jane closed her eyes against the prick of tears and swallowed, letting Maura's hold continue another moment before disengaging. "I can't do anything about it though."

"Of course ye kin, ye kin find another place tae live, tae be employed!" Maura's jaw dropped when Jane shook her head. "Are ye daft? Do ye wish tae be abused again?"

"I'm not looking to be hurt, dammit! But I can't – I can't…" Jane shook her head again, curls hiding her face momentarily, and returned her attention to the decimated apartment. "I can't just leave here."

"Why not? Why voluntarily stay with this…this _arse?_ " Maura's sneer eloquently rounded out her thoughts of Jane's father.

Jane offered a distant smile, setting her broom aside as she crossed her arms. "Do you know I have two brothers?"

"Ye do? Then why are they nae here tae help with the shop?"

"My youngest brother, Tommy," she shook her head and sighed in a forlorn way, "he's in prison. I'm actually surprised he hasn't swung yet." At Maura's raised brow and somewhat widened gaze, Jane smiled mirthlessly. "He's a drunk, got into some trouble late last year. He stole a horse and rode it through Boston; ended up running down a priest.

"He couldn't even act like he cared, just laughed and giggled like a damned fool as he was taken away. Pop…pop was…less than pleased when the constable came and told us what had happened." Jane unconsciously rubbed her arm and Maura got a glance at a faded scar, long and narrow, that ran the length of her forearm. "My middle brother, Frankie, he got out of here as soon as he turned sixteen. Ran off in the middle of the night and joined the Massachusetts militia; he sends me letters when he gets the chance. Last I heard, he was in Worcester trying to keep the peace."

"What about yer mam?"

"Ma died after she had Tommy."

Spoken matter-of-factly, the words nonetheless made Maura's chest ache and her eyes searched Jane's for any lingering pain. She found only resignation in dark eyes, and took a couple steps to hug her. "And ye cannae take a spouse tae escape?"

"A husband?" Jane snorted. Maura felt her shoulders shake with laughter and her warm breath washed across her temple. "I would sooner try and swim across the Bay than attempt to put up with someone trying to court me." Jane pulled away to cross her eyes and Maura laughed at her expression. "A few men have approached me, but they were all…ugh." She curled her lip disdainfully and shuddered.

"No better than pop, by the smell of them." As though summoned, a loud, stumbling step downstairs made them both jump, followed by a garbled curse. Jane's eyes rounded and she grabbed Maura's arm, yanking her toward the stairwell. "You have to go," she hissed urgently.

"What? No, what if he-"

"You can't _be_ here, Miss Maura! If he finds you!-" Jane made a sound at the back of her throat that set Maura on edge, and she let herself be herded down the steps to the back door in the supply room. "Go!"

"Will ye b-"

"I'll be fine! Now, go!" Jane squeezed Maura's hand and shut the door, leaving the captain to lean against the wall and strain her ears. Muffled words faintly reached her through the wood, and then an unsettling silence settled over the building. Maura held her breath in hopes to hear something other than her heartbeat thundering in her ears. She grudgingly shoved off the wall and shuffled down the alley toward the street, throwing worried glances over her shoulder with every step.


	4. The Harder the Conflict

_"A few men have approached me, but they were all…ugh." She curled her lip disdainfully and shuddered. "No better than pop, by the smell of them." As though summoned, a loud, stumbling step downstairs made them both jump, followed by a garbled curse. Jane's eyes rounded and she grabbed Maura's arm, yanking her toward the stairwell. "You have to go," she hissed urgently._

 _"What? No, what if he-"_

 _"You can't be here, Miss Maura! If he finds you!-" Jane made a sound at the back of her throat that set Maura on edge, and she let herself be herded down the steps to the back door in the supply room. "Go!"_

 _"Will ye b-"_

 _"I'll be fine! Now, go!" Jane squeezed Maura's hand and shut the door, leaving the captain to lean against the wall and strain her ears. Muffled words faintly reached her through the wood, and then an unsettling silence settled over the building. Maura held her breath in hopes to hear something other than her heartbeat thundering in her ears. She grudgingly shoved off the wall and shuffled down the alley toward the street, throwing worried glances over her shoulder with every step._

* * *

Jane closed the back door and spun on her heel to walk into the front of the shop. She willed her panicked breathing to even out, slowed her urgent steps, and surveyed the destruction once more with resignation in her eyes. Leaning heavily on the hatchet marked counter was her father, a half empty bottle in his fist and a gleam in his eyes that made the hairs on Jane's neck stand on end. "Janie, my Janie," he slurred, stumbling toward her.

She stepped out of his reach with a sneer on her lips and crossed her arms. "You finally crawled back here? Had to drink away the money needed to fix up the shop, I see." Her father straightened, keeping a hand on the scarred counter for balance, and glared at her blearily. He weaved on his feet, turning his head to keep Jane in his sights as she walked past him and staggered when he pivoted too far. "Go to bed, you're drunk."

"Italian, I handle drink." He thumbed himself in the chest belligerently and glared at her, then his expression morphed suddenly to one of glee. "Problems solved, Janie. No more money owed."

Jane's eyes narrowed incredulously. "That's not possible. Those sharkers are going to be getting money from us for the rest of our lives." She gestured at the shop at large. "Or did you suddenly forget who reminded us this morning that we didn't have enough income to cover this month's expenses? You did drink it away, after all; your brain is probably too soggy to remember anything." Jane knew she should shut her mouth, but the events of the past couple days had her on edge. Her father's nostrils flared and he took a threatening step toward her. When he wobbled she snickered and leaned away from his uncoordinated swipe. "Drunken old bastard, what did you do this time?"

"Shut mouth, girl," he growled. "I get way to forgive debt. One little, simple sale, _everything_ goes away." He smiled broadly, bottle hanging precariously from two fingers, and took another step toward her.

Jane felt a chill race down her spine as she stared into his eyes but refused to back down. "I don't believe you."

"I have papers! Here!" He pulled a crumpled sheaf of papers from his back pocket and shoved them at her. Jane walked over to the counter and spread them out, dragging her finger down the written words on the first page and mouthing the words silently. Her eyes narrowed, then widened dramatically as her face lost all color.

" _You-_ "

"All forgiven, Janie, my Janie."

Hands grabbed her in a vice grip and dragged her away from the counter. Jane thrashed wildly, kicking back at her father's shins, but he only grunted and tightened his hold on her. His drunken weaving became his saving grace as she missed his nose when she jerked her head back, and he barely noticed her frantic fighting, numbed as he was by alcohol. He dragged her steadily toward the back room and up the stairs, tottering precariously when she tried again to wrest herself away from him. They balanced dangerously on a step near the landing, then he threw himself backwards and turned to crush Jane beneath his weight.

As she lay on the stairs gasping for air, he grabbed her and yanked her into the ruined apartment, throwing her across the room toward her door. She caught herself against the doorjamb and turned to run, finding her exit blocked by his girth as he quickly closed the distance. "No fight, girl! My girl, mine to use!" He pushed her with both his hands flat against her chest, sending her sprawling into the disheveled room, and she cried out as her elbow banged against the chest at the foot of her bed. He loomed over her threateningly, thin hair wild and eyes glinting dangerously. "You stay, they come tomorrow." Without a backward glance, he turned and left the bedroom, shutting the door with a foreboding click of the lock.

Jane stared at the closed door in utter bewilderment, elbow throbbing and breath coming in short pants. She blinked as the severity of her situation suddenly sank in and leapt to her feet, cradling her elbow in her hand and running to the door. She rattled the knob viciously, yanking ineffectually on it until she almost fell on her butt, then pounded on the wood with an open palm.

"Open the door, you bastard! _Liberami; ti ucciderò se fate questo! Ubriaco, grasso, maiale!_ "

With every enraged word, her palm hit the wood and, at the end of her rant, she laid her forehead against the door and breathed deeply, willing her tears away and ignoring the betrayal swimming through her head. She flexed her stinging fingers as she looked around her bedroom, pacing back and forth in front of her bed between the wall and wardrobe. She heard her father's heavy tread on the other side of the door, then the slam of the door and silence. She snarled and kicked the door, yelling impotently when it still refused to give.

"Okay, _okay_ , don't panic…"

She scanned her room for anything to use to get herself out, pausing when her eyes panned over her chest. She kneeled in front of it and tossed things out, coming up with a roll of bandages, a thin pair of scissors, some surgical needles and thread, and little else in the way of useful things. A snarl parted her lips as she shook the handful of emergency supplies and tossed them away, pacing once more until her bare foot stubbed the edge of her wardrobe. "God _dammit, figlio di puttana_ _!_ "

She flung open the door and froze in the act of yanking out her clothes in a rage. Nestled in a corner of the wooden wardrobe was a threadbare pair of pants and a well worn shirt. Jane fingered the material between her thumb and index finger, mind whirling furiously. She eyed the small, grimy window above her bed incredulously, lips twisting to the side thoughtfully.

"Worth a try…"

She quickly unbuttoned the small pearl clasps dotting the front of her dress and shoved it into the bottom of her wardrobe, standing awkwardly in the middle of her small room in only her undergarments. She pulled the pants up her legs, holding the belt loops with one hand as she pawed through the mess at the back of her wardrobe. She victoriously held up a pair of suspenders and hooked them in the back loops, then pulled a sleeveless shirt over her head and fastened the suspenders at the front. Jane took a moment to posture in front of the mirror over her dresser, smiling and snapping the suspenders against her chest. She shook her head and grabbed the frayed button down, shrugging it on and finishing the change with a pair of socks and boots she used to walk down to the bay to fish in.

She eyed the window again, attempting to push it open through pure brute force and grunted as she only managed to scrape the tips of her fingers. "Dammit…" She hit the glass, shaking her hand out as the pane rattled, and then tapped it experimentally with her knuckle again. Jane scurried across the floor and picked up a discarded dress lying over her chair and draped it over her lower face, then grabbed the chair and strode back to the window. She took a deep breath and heaved the chair at the window, smiling beneath the dress as a thick crack fractured the pane. Picking up the chair once more, she lunged at the window and two of the legs went through the glass, sprinkling her with shards as it broke loudly.

Jane jabbed the legs at the shattered pane to remove the outer shards, then let the chair drop and dug around for the bandages she had thrown away. She used the dress to pull out the remaining shards from the corners and leaned out the window, staring down at the daunting height from her vantage to the overhang above the back door. "Okay, I can do this… I _have_ to do this." She wrapped her knuckles and wrists with the bandages securely and fashioned a crude satchel with the surgical thread and the scraps of an old, heavy weight dress she tore apart. After tucking a small purse of money, some clothes, and a small etching of her mother and another of her brothers into the satchel, Jane grabbed a leather thong off her dresser and pulled her hair back high on her head. She stuffed the wild curls under a cap she had been hemming for her father and looked out the window again.

It was just wide enough for her shoulders, and she told herself the drop to the overhang wasn't truly that far, carefully dropping her satchel down and then turning herself around to grab a hold of the outside frame overhead. She jumped up and shimmied until her upper body was hanging outside the window and she was sitting on the ledge precariously, then shifted her grip to the inside and slowly worked first one, then the other leg outside the window. Her hands gripped the ledge tightly, wooden frame digging into her palm through the bandages and she took a last glance down before releasing her grip, landing heavily on the overhang with a clatter of wood. Jane grabbed her satchel and hopped off the back roof, scrabbling for traction on the slick ground as she took off down the back alley, heart in her throat and her precious few belongings gripped tight in her hands.

* * *

Forgive me if my Italian is incorrect, Google Translate is all I'm fluent in, I'm afraid.


	5. The More Glorious the Triumph

Hey guys, just want to let you guys know how fucking amazing you all are! I love the response I'm getting for this story, I honestly didn't think it'd get this much traffic because of it being, one, an AU of massive proportions, and, two, Maura being less the shy, quiet type, and more kickass, get shit done. So thanks for loving this story, it's becoming a favorite of mine to write rapidly. *bows dramatically*

Also, there is some...salty language in here. If you've read me before, this shouldn't surprise you at all, but I figured I'd let you know since there are a couple in this chapter that even I won't use in conversation since they offend _me._ Also, vagure reference to rape, nothing graphic at all, it's literally just the word, but I figure, 'eh, better safe than sorry.' *shrugs*

Read on!

* * *

 _It was just wide enough for her shoulders, and she told herself the drop to the overhang wasn't truly that far, carefully dropping her satchel down and then turning herself around to grab a hold of the outside frame overhead. She jumped up and shimmied until her upper body was hanging outside the window and she was sitting on the ledge precariously, then shifted her grip to the inside and slowly worked first one, then the other leg outside the window. Her hands gripped the ledge tightly, wooden frame digging into her palm through the bandages and she took a last glance down before releasing her grip, landing heavily on the overhang with a clatter of wood. Jane grabbed her satchel and hopped off the back roof, scrabbling for traction on the slick ground as she took off down the back alley, heart in her throat and her precious few belongings gripped tight in her hands._

* * *

Maura strode determinedly down the street, heedless of the pedestrians in her path that hurried to get out of her way and Frost who was scrambling to keep up with her long stride. "Miss Maura, please! See reason!"

"I _am_ seein' reason, Mister Frost; I'm seein' more clearly than I have been this entire venture!" Maura never stopped moving toward the inner city, the curve of her body distorted by the myriad weapons stowed on her person that were barely concealed beneath the slightly loose fabric of her shirt. "I shouldae never left her there with that…that!- She'd better be in one piece, lest her father wants tae be lackin' a limb." Maura growled dangerously as she walked down the now-familiar path toward the store front. She rocked forward when Frost ran into her back after she froze in the middle of the cobblestones, eyes locked on the splintered door before her.

"Jane…"

Without another thought, Maura rushed forward, drawing her pistol from its place tucked into the waist of her breeches beneath her shirt. She stepped through the broken doorway, superficially noting the destroyed interior of the shop as she hastened toward the storage room and stairs leading to the apartment.

"Captain, wait!..." Frost hissed from behind her as she disappeared into the storeroom, pace quickening when she heard the faint echo of voices from upstairs. She took the steps two at a time and pressed her ear to the shut door, able to make out only the faint rumble of at least two male voices and the quiet shuffle as someone paced near the door. Frost set his hand on her shoulder, squeezing to get her attention. "Are you crazy?"

"I will nae let a man such as the likes o' him hurt her any more, Mister Frost. I've seen tae many wrongs done tae others already since I began sailin' for me da in this cursed business; I will _nae_ let it happen tae another while I kin stop it, ye ken?" She eyed him darkly, hazel gone muddy with anger. "Do ye stand with me or dae I go in alone, Mister Frost?"

He didn't hesitate, although his face showed his clear anxiety. "I go where you go, Captain Isles."

"Good man. On three, aye? I kin hear at least three men; aim tae cripple, nae tae kill. We need answers." He nodded and she counted down silently, twisting the knob and throwing her weight against the door as she heard the man on the other side just in front of the door. She heard him land with a grunt as she went in with her pistol drawn, taking in the room with a glance.

Besides the man who was slowly getting to his knees, there were four others staring at her and Frost with varied expressions. Jane's father, tied to a chair and face bloodied and bruised, was staring at them with unabashed hope, a crimson smile on his lips. To either side of the trussed up Italian a goon stood with weapons drawn, although theirs were uncertainly wavering between Maura, Frost, and their downed companion. Off to the side, apparently unaffected by the interruption, an older man stood with his hands clasped behind his back. He smiled amiably at them but the dead look in his cold, blue-grey eyes and the flecks of blood that dirtied his jacket put both Maura and Frost on edge.

"Ah, some unexpected guests. I would shake your hand, Miss, but…" He held up one hand, displaying split knuckles and blood smeared skin. He seemed entranced by the gory sight, staring at the crimson streaks on his pale skin with fascination. "It would appear that you come with a purpose, though. I hope you weren't expecting to have dealings with this man; as you can see, he is currently somewhat indisposed." The man drew a nail along Jane's father's cheek and giggled when he drew back with fear in his eyes. "Now, now, Mister Rizzoli, I thought we had reached an understanding? The girl for the store, a simple transaction in my eyes. Such a beautiful creature, your daughter, with her long, strong fingers and her beautiful body…"

Maura saw red suddenly as the man continued describing Jane with sickening, avid ardor. Her breathing labored in the apartment and she felt her skin heat with rage at the twisted smile that perched upon the man's thin lips. "You…dannae _speak_ o' Miss Rizzoli."

"Oh? And what, may I ask, is your connection to her?" His smile firmly in place, the man walked closer to Maura, who recoiled at the coppery scent of blood and lavender that clung to him. "I don't believe I've seen you around here before, and I know everyone who comes to this shop. You see, the Rizzoli's are indebted to me and they have fallen somewhat behind on their payments of late. I have come by with my associates to…reclaim my funds. As you can see," he gestured at the bound man in the chair, "I am less than pleased with the disappearance of my property."

Maura inhaled sharply and felt Frost's hand on her elbow, warning her silently. She shrugged him off and took a fearless step toward the man, heedless of the bodyguards who re-centered the barrels of their pistols on her chest. "Ye… _property_? Are ye daft as well as ignorant?" She watched his smile freeze in place, a rictus grin that seemed appropriate on his too-narrow face. She subtly palmed her pistol and heard Frost sigh behind her in resignation, muttering unintelligibly under his breath. "Ye mustn't knae who I am."

"Should I?" He adopted an unaffected tone; although Maura watched his pupils shrink and caught the faint tremble under his voice as she grinned ferally.

"Aye. Ever heard o' The Dungarvan Dragún?"

"Those stories are naught but fairytales, meant to scare young crewman off the seas. The Dragon doesn't exist," he scoffed with a roll of his eyes. Maura's smirk widened and he bared his teeth, waving his hands emphatically. "She's only a story; ' _wandering the seas in search of vessels worthy of her attention, the Dragún's wrath is that of a spectre; wreaking havoc one minute, disappeared into the vast ocean the next, leaving behind nothing but flotsam and corpses,'_ " he intoned sarcastically as his men chuckled.

Maura joined them, feeling the heat of Frost's smile at her back as she nonchalantly set her hand on her hip and, ergo, on the hidden cache of daggers beneath her shirt. "Aye, t'would appear sae, I agree. But there's one point ye've mistaken, sir." Her gaze hardened as she drew two daggers and threw them with uncanny precision. The squeals of pain from the men bracketing Jane's father as the weapons buried themselves in their hands were a soundtrack to her accompanying words. "The Dragún? She's very much real; ye see, I'm her."

With a dangerous smile, Maura lifted her pistol and shot one of them in the shoulder then threw the weapon at the other and hit him in the temple. She watched dispassionately as he dropped without a sound and heard the man at her back hit the floor, turning in time to see Frost use the butt of his pistol to disarm his opponent and turn it on him with a threatening look. She locked eyes with the older man, who raised his hands soundlessly. "Dae the rumors ring true yet, sir?"

She circled him predatorily, listening to the quiet whimpers from the man she had shot and the heavy panting of the older man. He tried to keep his expression blank, but she watched his eye tic nervously and caught the quick pulse of his heart beneath the skin of his throat as he swallowed loudly. "What in the world could you want with me? If the rumors are true, you should be on the ocean, sinking ships and killing men, not badgering old men."

Maura scoffed, reaching out to tangle her fingers in his thin hair and drag his head back viciously. "Ye see, normally, ye'd be correct. There is, however, a slight problem. Ye see, ye've gone after a woman I consider a friend. I will ask ye once, so pick yer answer carefully; where is Miss Rizzoli?"

"No good girl, run off and ruin deal with Hoyt; I swear to give to him, he forgive all debt!" Jane's father suddenly broke in, disrupting Maura's attention from her prey. The man – Hoyt, Maura's mind supplied – tried to break free and she casually kicked the back of his leg, bringing him to his knees with a thud. Keeping a firm grip on his hair, she tutted quietly.

"See, that wasn' smart at all, Mister…Hoyt?" She tapped her chin thoughtfully, then snapped her fingers. "I've heard o' ye. Ye be a sharker, aye?"

"Yes, the best here, so you know what I am capable of. Unless you want to find your life cut drastically shorter, I suggest you release me, woman." Tone haughty, Hoyt still couldn't hide the faint tremor in his voice and Maura shook her head, features folding in faux sorrow.

"I'm sorry, I dannae think that will happen. Ye see, I've heard what ye dae tae people that dannae pay ye on time. Disappearances, fires, murder…tae name but a few. I've also heard more…unsavory things." Her eyes darkened as she crouched to whisper into his ear, "Rape, slavery…does it ring any bells?" She shoved him onto his stomach, setting a boot on his back and pressing threateningly. "Dannae move." He didn't make a sound and Maura gestured at Frost, who pulled his man over to her, hand at the nape of his neck for control. "I've only got one question fer ye; where is Miss Rizzoli?"

He shook his head fearfully, eyes wide and lip trembling. "I dunno, I jus' run errands for Mister Hoyt. I swear I don' know where she went!"

Maura nodded amiably, patting his cheek with a small smile. "I believe ye, calm yerself." His features showed relief as she spoke. "Unfortunately, that dannae help me." He barely had time to widen his eyes before the butt of her pistol hit his nose, immediately breaking it and sending him sprawling.

Frost made sure he was out and then straddled Hoyt while she walked over to the other conscious man, crouching in front of him as she picked up her thrown pistol. He immediately blurted, "I dunno, swear I don't! The old man said she was gone when he walked into the room this morning, that's all, I swear!"

Maura watched him whine and clutch his wounded arm against himself, then gracefully stood and stepped around him toward Jane's bedroom. She took in the rifled through chest and open wardrobe, eying the overturned chair and shattered glass twinkling beneath the window, then approached the middle of the room. The dress she had last seen Jane in was lying in a crumpled heap on the floor, surrounded by a mess of thread and needles and scraps of fabric. She picked up a scrap and walked out of the bedroom, shoving it into the bound man's mouth, then met Frost's eyes and nodded.

He stepped back from Hoyt and Maura approached him, watching with unreadable eyes as he got onto his knees and glared up at her. "You bitch, you won't get away with this, you'll be dead within the week! I'll send every one of my men after you, make you regret ever laying eyes on me before I put a bullet in your skull!" He spit on her boots and Maura watched the spittle slide off the polished dark brown leather.

She met Hoyt's cold, enraged blue-grey eyes with her own hazel gaze and smiled suddenly as she lashed out with her foot, kicking him in the chest and sending him sprawling onto his back. "Ye underestimate me, Hoyt. Ye see, I'll be gone from here within forty-eight hours, and I'm afraid yer life expectancy has dropped drastically. Do ye know how long a man kin live while bleedin' out?" She inquired conversationally as she pulled another dagger from behind her back, checking the adge with an air of nonchalance as she watched the little color in Hoyt's face drain rapidly.

"Nay? Well, ye see, if'n ye hit an artery, it'll take a man anywhere between two minutes and several hours. Now, I cannae leave ye enough time tae reach help, but…ye dannae deserve a fast death, either. Sae, I'll dae this instead." She abruptly turned the dagger on him and struck, the wet squelch of metal digging through skin and Hoyt's pained wail nearly synchronized. She looked down at him, clutching his arm and glaring up at her through a pained grimace, the stark red of his blood pooling beneath his body and the white of bone stained pink just visible through the ragged tear in his elbow.

"Now," she said conversationally, crouching in front of him again, "I nicked the brachial artery if'n I struck true, sae that gives ye about…twenty minutes, by my calculations. Sae, is there anythin' ye wanna tell me 'fore ye die?" She idly twirled her dagger around and stared him down.

"Go to hell, you stupid wench! I'll have your head for this, you whor-"

"Ach, see, this is what I wanted tae avoid." Maura glanced up at Frost, then lashed out with her fist and watched with satisfaction as a spurt of blood burst from Hoyt's lip. She shook out her hand as she stood, pacing around Hoyt. "If'n ye're jus' goin' tae spew drivel and slurs, I'll jus' leave ye tae yer sufferin'. Now, I'll ask once more…is there anythin' of import ye wantae tell me?"

Hoyt glared at her with malice in his dulling eyes, skin pasty with blood loss. "An' if'n ye're only goin' tae be uncooperative, I'll give ye a little incentive…" She pressed against the ragged wound in his arm, watching the blood gush from the puncture and listening to his pained groan. "Now?"

"I've got…nothing…nothing to say to…you, you _bitch._ "

Maura shook her head, wiping her hand on Hoyt's sweat and blood stained jacket before standing with Frost's aid. "Alright then. We'll take our leave then, gentlemen. Thank ye fer yer assistance." She walked over and yanked her daggers from the mens' hands, ignoring their moans as she wiped them clean on their clothes.

As they walked toward the door, Hoyt spit out, "Go to hell…you cunt!"

Maura paused in the door and looked over her shoulder, holstering her spent pistols at the small of her back. "Someday, perhaps, but fer now, I'll settle fer knowin' yer goin' there before me." As his vision dimmed and he lost his balance, he heard her light steps on the landing outside the door, followed by her parting words before the door shut and Jane's father began grunting in a panic. "Die slowly, ye bastard."


	6. Not Yet Begun to Fight

_"I've got…nothing…nothing to say to…you, you bitch."_

 _Maura shook her head, wiping her hand on Hoyt's sweat and blood stained jacket before standing with Frost's aid. "Alright then. We'll take our leave then, gentlemen. Thank ye fer yer assistance." She walked over and yanked her daggers from the mens' hands, ignoring their moans as she wiped them clean on their clothes._

 _As they walked toward the door, Hoyt spit out, "Go to hell…you cunt!"_

 _Maura paused in the door and looked over her shoulder, holstering her spent pistols at the small of her back. "Someday, perhaps, but fer now, I'll settle fer knowin' yer goin' there before me." As his vision dimmed and he lost his balance, he heard her light steps on the landing outside the door, followed by her parting words before the door shut and Jane's father began grunting in a panic. "Die slowly, ye bastard."_

* * *

Jane, in slightly large pants and a shirt with a wide brimmed hat concealing most of her face in the morning sunlight, wandered down the crowded street toward the harbor, eyes shifting nervously from face to face. The men and women that walked past her didn't pay her any mind and she relaxed marginally as she ducked inside a shop just opening for the day. She rubbed her back as she scanned the counter, cursing the hard cot she'd slept on the night before after sneaking out the window of the apartment. "A loaf of bread and some meat?" The shopkeep gave her a weird look as he pulled out a still steaming loaf of bread and some cured meat, and Jane felt a wild moment of panic when she realized he had noticed her voice. She coughed like she was clearing her throat and said again, in a more throaty tone, "Know ships that came in the past couple days?"

"Looking for work?"

"You could say so," Jane muttered, passing a few coins over the counter as she was handed the food.

The shopkeep nodded out the door and handed her back her change. "You could ask around the taverns down by the harbor, there are always men looking to hire down there. You look kind of scrawny for that sort of work though, begging your pardon."

Jane snorted and shouldered out the door, taking a bite of the bread as she walked down the street. She wandered until she came to a halt beneath a sign that read The Tempest's Rest and nervously walked in. She was immediately assaulted by the combined stench of unwashed bodies and stale drink, all under the scent of the ocean only a half mile away. She walked up to the bar and leaned on it nonchalantly, feeling sweat bead on the back of her neck and slip down between her shoulder blades as she shifted on her feet.

The barman came over, a dour look on his face as he looked her up and down with an unimpressed gleam in his eyes. "Get you gone, boy. Only men looking for work show up here."

"I am," Jane insisted, barley managing to keep her voice pitched low as she bristled.

The barkeep snorted and turned away dismissively, waving at the empty chairs scattered through the room. "Whatever you say, whelp. Have a seat, then, I'll bring you a meal while you wait." He came out with a bowl and cup of drink, setting them before her and standing over her with his arms crossed. "What kind of work you looking for?"

"Ship work. Know any ships that have come in the past couple days?" Jane dipped the remainder of her bread into the broth in the bottom of the bowl, keeping a sharp eye on the man.

"Ships come in every day, looking for a specific one?"

"Know any with females onboard?"

The man laughed loudly and Jane spilt some of her drink down the front of her shirt. As the man slapped the table top, Jane eyed her soaked shirt with a grimace, plucking at the material sourly. "Ach, you're having me on, boy! No women on ships in these parts, all those superstitious sailors calling it bad luck. Bah!" Throwing his hands up, the barkeep walked toward the kitchen, leaving Jane with a frown on her face.

She walked back out into the sunlight after leaving some coins on the table and wandered down onto the docks, asking around about any women spotted on the pier. Many of the men made lewd jokes and gestures, others ignored her, and one crossed himself when she mentioned a woman onboard. "No women on this ship, no, bad signs all around." He scampered up the gangplank and Jane shook her head.

Finally, in the evening, she made her way back to The Tempest's Rest, hungry, grouchy, and irritated by an itch under her hat she hadn't been able to scratch all day. She stalked up tot eh bar and the same man from that morning walked out of the kitchen. He saw her and strode over, a smirk on his face as he grabbed a rag and started mopping up the spilled drink on the bar top. "Find your woman, whelp?"

"No. Got a room for the night?"

Between her exhaustion and frayed temper, Jane didn't have to strain for the deep voice of a man, growling her request to the barkeep. He jerked his head toward a set of stairs at the back of the building. "Five shillings for the night, clean sheets, a door with a lock. Will that do?"

"Yeah."

She handed him the coins and he gave her a key, told her it was the room at the end of the hall, and she went upstairs. Ignoring the sounds coming from behind closed doors, she unlocked the final door and stepped inside. Lit with a small lamp, the small room looked clean, furnished with a bed, small table, two chairs, and an old, stained, tiny table on top of which rested a wash basin. She dumped her satchel and hat on the bed and scrubbed her face, sighing at her reflection in the chipped mirror over the basin. Scratching the itch on her scalp with a satisfied groan, Jane walked to the grimy window and stared out at the harbor. The water gleamed in the evening light and the ships seemed to float atop fire as the sun set behind Boston.

"How on earth am I going to find you, Maura?" She shook her head as her stomach rumbled in discontent and ambled back down into the bar after covering her hair with a tightly bound bandana and locking her door. The stools against the bar and every table set against the wall and in the middle of the room were filled with sailors and workers coming in for the night; the bar smelled of sweat and fish, and the noise of dozens of voices raised over each other made her ears hurt. She pushed through a couple of groups toward the bar and waved down the barkeep. "Dinner?"

"Fresh fish and soup!" He had to yell over the crowd and Jane nodded. He disappeared and brought out her meal, then pointed out a vacant chair against the wall. Jane slowly maneuvered toward it and sat down just before a trio of sailors staggered past, reeking of stale ale and body odor. She balanced her meal on her knees and dug in, quickly polishing off the food and setting the bowl at her feet. She watched the men gambling at the tables, cursing and throwing cards down as their coins traded hands.

Her view was blocked as someone came and stood in front of her and she looked up up up to the face of a mountain of a man. Shoulders twice as broad as hers, hands the size of her face, and biceps that she likely wouldn't be able to put both her hands around, his craggy, weatherbeaten face stared down at hers blankly. "You're in my seat." His voice rumbled low in his gut and Jane felt a shiver roll down her spine.

"I'm sorry, I'll just-"

"No one sits in Luzio's seat." He reached out to grab her and she scrambled to the side, barely evading his meaty grip. Dark eyes followed her retreat and he took a step in her direction. "Last man to sit in Luzio's chair left through window. Luzio thinks you will end up further, scrawny pup."

Jane noticed the bar had gone eerily quiet other than the faint scrape of utensils on dishes and the quiet shuffle of feet on the worn, drink stained floor. She looked around at unfriendly faces, noticed several men surreptitiously sliding hands toward their belts, and turned her attention back to the giant man in time to narrowly avoid a punishing right hook. She felt the air brush across her cheek and reeled, falling backwards into a sailor's lap. He laughed meanly and pushed her back toward Luzio, who grabbed her biceps and held her in place, barely moving as she struggled and cursed.

"Luzio likes your fire, scrawny pup. Maybe you become challenge if you ever grow." He effortlessly picked her up and threw her over his shoulder and Jane panicked as she felt the bandana slip against her hair.

"Dammit, put me down!"

"The boy sounds like a girl, so affrighted he is! Maybe he needs a woman to make him a man!" One of the patrons jeered, laughing and pointing, and Jane saw red.

She let herself slide further down Luzio's back and grabbed his testicles, twisting as she clamped on. The man froze and squealed, dropping Jane unceremoniously on her shoulder and face, and grabbed his manhood with a grimace on his face. Jane ignored the warm blood soaking her collar and the skin of her chin and neck, rolled out of the way of his uncoordinated kick and yanked a chair out from under a guffawing sailor to throw it at Luzio, who stumbled over the legs and went down like a sack of flour. She landed a good kick at his side before she was grabbed by her collar and choked as she was yanked onto her feet. She looked up at the man she had taken the chair out from under, who was blowing hard through his nose and glaring down it at her. "Uhm…"

"Think yer funny, boy?"

"Sometimes?"

The man growled and, as he cocked back, Jane threw a hook at his face. She felt his nose give way beneath her knuckles and he jerked back, howling as blood gushed from his nose. Jane ducked beneath the next attack and suddenly found herself immersed in a full on brawl, skittering away from the main body of the fighting as drunk and aggressive men turned on each other with mugs, chairs, and weapons held aloft.

She avoided the flurry of fists flying at her until, after ducking away from a small knife wielded dexterously by a mouse of a man, she suddenly found her vision full of scarred knuckles and pain blossomed across her nose and mouth. She reeled away, spitting blood and seeing double, and abruptly stopped, held upright by long, calloused fingers and a firm body at her back. She looked over her shoulder and waited for her vision to reassert itself before realizing who had caught her.


	7. All Hang Together

_"Think yer funny, boy?"_

 _"Sometimes?"_

 _The man growled and, as he cocked back, Jane threw a hook at his face. She felt his nose give way beneath her knuckles and he jerked back, howling as blood gushed from his nose. Jane ducked beneath the next attack and suddenly found herself immersed in a full on brawl, skittering away from the main body of the fighting as drunk and aggressive men turned on each other with mugs, chairs, and weapons held aloft._

 _She avoided the flurry of fists flying at her until, after ducking away from a small knife wielded dexterously by a mouse of a man, she suddenly found her vision full of scarred knuckles and pain blossomed across her nose and mouth. She reeled away, spitting blood and seeing double, and abruptly stopped, held upright by long, calloused fingers and a firm body at her back. She looked over her shoulder and waited for her vision to reassert itself before realizing who had caught her._

* * *

Jane's eyed widened when she realized the barkeep had a firm hold of her arms, a deep frown carving lines across his face and making him seem more stern than usual. "You're trouble, boy. Look what you done!" Jane struggled in his grasp and winced as his blunt nails dug into her skin. "Ought to give you to them," the barkeep said contemplatively.

He began pressing her toward the skirmish and Jane dug in her heels, frantically twisting her body and trying to kick his legs to get away. "Dammit, get off me!"

"Boys like you need to get their teeth rattled to learn a les-" The barkeep jerked to a stop suddenly and Jane nearly tripped headlong into the fray if not for the stiff hold on her arms. She heard, "Who the hell are you?" then his grip abruptly disappeared and she pivoted on her heel in time to watch him land hard on his ass after taking a blow to the jaw. The barkeep rubbed the bruise and lurched to his feet with murder in his eyes, then backpedaled into Jane rapidly. Jane shoved him away and watched with satisfaction as he lurched headlong into a table.

"Well now, 'tis apparent ye have some good luck, aye?"

Jane's head whipped around and her eyes found a dancing green gaze. Maura smiled charmingly, Frost at her back with a furrow between his brows, then yelled, "Duck!" Jane fell to her hands and knees in time to feel air pass overhead and grunted as her would-be assailant tripped over her and fell onto his face on the wooden floor. She landed a blow against his ribs, then was yanked unceremoniously onto her feet and dragged away from the brunt of the fighting.

Maura was bright eyed and grinning, although the way her hands skirted over Jane's shoulders and sides seemed concerned. "Are ye well? Ye've quite a stream beneath yer nose." Jane opened her mouth to reply when Maura abruptly pulled her closer, eyes hard and nearly brown. "Dannae move from my side, dae ye understand?"

"Uhm, yeah – yeah."

Maura took Jane's hand, pulling her toward the wall, and the brunette noticed the brawl had spilled out past the tables toward them. Frost was behind her as they edged out the door into the street and the darkening skies that hid their retreat. When they were leaning breathlessly against some crates on the docks, Jane realized her hand was still entangled with Maura's and made a move to pull away. Maura's fingers tightened and hazel eyes met hers silently. She gently rubbed her thumb over Jane's knuckles and the brunette gradually relaxed, squeezing Maura's fingers.

"So, what now, Captain?"

"I think we should return tae my ship. 'Tis a safe bet those men will come searchin' fer our bold Miss Rizzoli and 'twill be best if'n she isn't seen out an' about. 'Sides, I believe ye could use some first aid; dae ye agree?" Jane felt the uncomfortable pressure in her nose again and nodded mutely. Frost laughed quietly as he walked ahead of them and stood at the foot of the gangplank of Maura's ship. Jane glanced around in awe as they walked on deck, the still-vacant ship creaking quietly as it floated on the water. "Dae ye like it?"

"It's beautiful. And massive," Jane added as she cocked her head back to stare up at the crow's nest nestled at the top of the center mast. Maura chuckled as she led Jane into her quarters, leaving the doors open to let in the humid, salty air.

Frost leaned against the jamb, watching as Jane wandered around the room and Maura dug through a chest for her bandages. "Anything else for me, Captain?"

"If ye would find us some supper, Mister Frost. Oh, an' please find the brandy down below, if'n ye'd be sae kind."

"Of course, ma'am."

Frost disappeared and Maura walked over to a desk with a bag of supplies. "Miss Rizzoli, would ye sit here fer me?" Jane fell into the chair gracelessly and winced as Maura's hand fluttered around her face. "I havenae even touched ye yet."

"It's preemptive."

"As ye say." Maura chuckled, soaking a cloth in a washbasin nearby and cupping Jane's cheek. "I will need tae clean the blood off; it doesnae look tae serious though."

"It feels serious enough," Jane groused. She held as still as she could while Maura dabbed at her nose and chin, wincing once in a while as the cartilage was bumped.

Frost reappeared in the doorway with two bowls in his hands and a bottle balanced precariously under his arm. He left them on the table by the women and took a closer look at Jane's face, smiling affably. "You're going to have quite the shiner, Miss Rizzoli." Jane merely nodded and he exclaimed, "Oh, I'm sorry. I'm Barry Frost; the Captain's First. Call me Frost."

"Nice to meet you, Frost," Jane said muzzily, shaking his hand firmly.

Frost grinned widely as Maura set the bloody rag aside and lightly ran her fingers over Jane's face. "So, what prompted that little debacle earlier?"

"I had a, uhm, small disagreement with a rather pungent sailor," Jane muttered flushing under Frost's dancing gaze. Maura hummed quietly as she placed her thumbs on either side of Jane's nose. "Apparently, I was sitting in his chair. I mean, who the he – _ow, dammit! What the hell, Maura?!_ " Jane jerked back when Maura popped the cartilage back into place, eying her warily and rubbing her nose where a small stream of blood came out. Her eyes watered and she ducked away from Maura's grasp.

"Now, stop bein' a babe, ye're a grown woman, are ye nae?"

"Not when my nose hurts, woman!"

"Ach, it dannae hurt now, does it?"

Jane froze and wiggled her nose experimentally. "…huh."

Maura smirked, hand set on her hip, and Frost snickered, picking at the heavy bread set atop the bowls. "Now kin I _please_ finish?"

"I guess." Jane reluctantly let Maura clean her up and found herself leaning into the calloused palm cupping her cheek.

"Mister Frost, kin ye find Miss Rizzoli some clothes that are nae blood stained?"

"Right away, ma'am."

When he was gone, Maura stepped back and Jane watched her drag a chair over. She sat in front of Jane, knees brushing, and caught her hands. "Jane," she said quietly, "I have a question fer ye, an' I need ye tae consider it seriously." She waited for Jane to nod and took a deep breath.

"The men yer da was gon'tae sell ye tae, I…dealt with them. They may still come after ye – after _me_ , fer retribution. I didnae leave their leader in very good shape 'fore we left, though I wish I had filleted that smarmy arse 'fore I sent him tae meet his maker," she muttered darkly. "If'n ye wish, ye may accompany me fer as long as ye like."

"Aboard the ship?"

"Aye." Jane studied Maura closely, her dark eyes fraught with indecision. She turned her hands over in Maura's grip so they were palm to palm, thumbs rubbing absently along the back of Maura's pinkies. "'Twould be freeing, though ye would hafta work fer yer keep. Although, I suppose yer used tae that." She smiled thinly at Jane and waited pensively in the ensuing silence.

Frost returned with a change of clothes and stood just within the doorway, watching them watch each other. Jane spared him a glance, catching the approving glint in his eyes and the curve of his lips, then returned her attention to Maura. "What would be my duties?"

"Kin ye cook?"

"Yes?"

"Good. If'n I hafta eat Mister Frost's poison he dares call stew one more time, I'll thow meself off the rail."

"Hey!"

Jane smiled and squeezed Maura's hands. "I can do that…Captain."

Maura's lips lifted broadly and she leaned in to hug Jane. "Great, now we only hafta finalize it an' yer officially a member o' my crew."

She bounced up and rooted through a dresser as Frost walked over and offered his hand again. Jane shook it cautiously and was pulled onto her feet and into a back pounding hug by the man. "Good, I can finally get back to my _actual_ duties."

"Ye mean sleepin' on the job and barkin' at my crew?"

"I _mean_ , making sure you aren't dozing off at the wheel and our men aren't raiding the liquor stores," Frost retorted smartly.

Maura snorted and Jane fought back her wild grin as she brought over a tattered paper and quill. She set them on the desk and handed over the quill. "Our laws, as part o' my crew. Read 'em, make sure ye understand 'em, an' leave yer mark." She pointed at the motley assortment of scrawled names and shaky 'x' marks that dotted the bottom of the paper, and stood at Jane's side as she read the document.

Jane carefully signed her name and looked up at Maura. "Now what?"

Maura pulled a dagger from her belt and dragged it across her palm until a bright streak of crimson marred her skin. She wiped it off on her pants and handed it hilt first to Jane. "Draw blood, Miss Rizzoli." She was suddenly serious and Jane palmed the weapon for a second, then quickly slit a thin line on her palm.

Maura led her onto the deck, over to the railing, and smeared her blood on the varnished wood. Jane did the same, then Frost brought over two bandages for them to bind their wounds. "Yer blood is mine, an' mine yers. I will protect ye as mine kin, treat ye as family, an' this bond last 'til world's end." Maura wrapped the cloth around Jane's hand and Jane did the same, then they were folded into Frost's arms. He laughed jubilantly and dragged them in a circle, Maura giggling under one arm while Jane tried not to trip over the multitude of feet.

"Okay, seriously – can't breathe!"

"Oops, sorry."

Frost released Jane and Maura snuck out from under his other arm to grab Jane's hands and spin her in a circle. "Dance with me!"

"Why?" Jane asked even as she began twirling with Maura aimlessly as Frost clapped.

"It's fun, dae ye need another reason? It's a night fer dancin'!"

Jane got caught up in the giddy laughter that floated out over the harbor and swung Maura around wildly until their feet tangled together and they collapsed in a heap of laughter and sweat. "Wow, is it always like this?"

"Only with the pretty ones," Frost teased, winking and laughing when Jane blushed in embarrassment. "C'mon, let's find you a bunk."

"Nay, Mister Frost, Miss Rizzoli will sleep in my quarters." Frost's jaw dropped and Jane tilted her head to the side in confusion as she looked between them.

"What's the problem?"

"Ma'am?"

Maura said defensively, "Dannae look at me like that, Mister Frost. 'Tis logical she sleeps in my quarters, aye? We are the only women onboard; I wouldnae wish my crew get any wayward thoughts."

"Of course, ma'am." Frost smirked and walked away, disappearing belowdecks.

Maura caught Jane's hand and pulled her onto her feet. "Come along, Miss Rizzoli, we'll figure out our sleepin' arrangements."

"I only saw one bed?..."

"Aye, but I think we kin work somethin' out." Maura pulled a tangled piece of fabric out from a deep drawer set into the wall and, after some untangling and quiet cursing, a hammock was laid out on the floor. "I kin sleep here, there's hooks set intae the wall fer the ties."

"You don't have to do that, it's _your_ bed-"

"I know, but ye would be more comfortable there than in the hammock, trust me."

Jane stubbornly shook her head. "It's not right."

"Well, the only other option is tae sleep together unless you wish tae sleep with the other crewmen."

Jane froze mid-reach toward the hammock and rocked back on her heels while Maura smiled crookedly, flashing a dimple victoriously. Jane frowned mulishly and raked her fingers through her hair. "Okay."

"Okay?..."

"Okay, we'll share the bed." Jane took no small amount of pleasure from Maura's blank stare and smirked. "I'm not making you take the hammock, you won't let _me_ sleep there like I should, and I don't think you'll let me sleep with the other men," Maura shook her head and Jane grinned, "so my only option is to share the bed with you. Unless you'd rather have your privacy of course, I can understand that." Jane smiled coyly and Maura uttered an oath under her breath.

"Fine, ye win this round, Miss Rizzoli." She kicked the hammock into a corner and gestured at the bed. "We'll share the bed." She walked toward the deck and paused in the doorway.

"I hope ye dannae mind, but I sleep in the nude in this heat." With a parting grin, wide and reckless, Maura swept out of the room, leaving Jane gaping in bewilderment.


	8. Two if by Sea

_"Okay?..."_

 _"Okay, we'll share the bed." Jane took no small amount of pleasure from Maura's blank stare and smirked. "I'm not making you take the hammock, you won't let me sleep there like I should, and I don't think you'll let me sleep with the other men," Maura shook her head and Jane grinned, "so my only option is to share the bed with you. Unless you'd rather have your privacy of course, I can understand that." Jane smiled coyly and Maura uttered an oath under her breath._

 _"Fine, ye win this round, Miss Rizzoli." She kicked the hammock into a corner and gestured at the bed. "We'll share the bed." She walked toward the deck and paused in the doorway._

 _"I hope ye dannae mind, but I sleep in the nude in this heat." With a parting grin, wide and reckless, Maura swept out of the room, leaving Jane gaping in bewilderment._

* * *

"C'mon, men, let's get outtae this city, an' back tae our fair Ireland!" The crewmen aboard Maura's ship scurried back and forth across the deck, loosing the sails to catch the favorable wind that would take them out to sea. Maura stood at the rail of the upper deck, surveying the controlled chaos with a gleam in her eyes and watched Jane out of the corner of her gaze. The brunette was staring unabashedly down onto the deck, jaw agape as the men cursed and heaved, a half dozen cranking the wheel to pull the anchor up against the side of the ship as a near score more ran up and down the rigging, checking the sails. "Mister Frost?"

"Aye, Captain?"

"Give them the word, if ye please?"

"Aye." Frost stepped up next to Maura and bellowed, "Heave to, loose sails! The tide is going out, men, and we need to get as much wind under our wings as we can! Don't laze about, get moving!"

Somehow, the energy aboard ship seemed to increase and Maura's lips lifted as they slowly left Boston harbor. The wind ruffled her hair, yet to be tied back with a bandana, and her shirt fluttered against her skin. "Thank ye, Mister Frost. Set a course due east fer the moment, if'n ye please."

"Aye, Miss Maura." He approached the wheel and steered them just north of the rising sun. Maura listened to the waves gently buffeting the hull, the indignant screech of seagulls as they flew overhead, and the boisterous chatter of her crew, all eager to make way for their homeland.

"Maura?"

Hazel eyes turned aside to find Jane had sidled up next to her, wide eyes darting between her face and the open sea before them. "Aye, Jane? Is there a problem?"

"I just…don't know what to do?"

"What dae ye mean?"

"Everyone has something to do, some task, and I…" She wrung her hands anxiously, face screwed up in thought. "I just feel kind of useless right now."

"Well, we kin certainly teach ye tae sail if'n ye want," Maura offered. "But ye hav'tae understand, Jane, these men are…somewhat uncouth. They willnae see ye as an equal 'less ye show yerself tae be equal."

"I can do that, I'm not some delicate gentrified woman who needs to be coddled. I just want to earn my keep." Jane turned fully to face Maura, tucking her hair behind her ear as the wind pushed it in front of her face. "You've already done so much, taking me with you; I want to help, and besides, I can't stand being idle too long." She chuckled, smiling wryly. "I'm used to work, it feels weird not doing anything while everyone else is busy."

Maura nodded amicably, taking Jane's elbow and leading her back toward the doors of their shared quarters. "We kin dae that fer ye. Right now though, I want ye tae focus on getting' yer sea legs, ye ken?"

"My what?"

Maura laughed at the confused expression on Jane's face. "Yer sea legs, sae the ocean does nae take them out from under ye. When we find disagreeable waters, ye'll be glad fer them, believe me. Walk 'round the upper deck, watch the water, familiarize yerself with the ship." Jane nodded and began ambling away, pausing when Maura called her name. "Oh, Jane? Dannae go anywhere without me or Mister Frost accompanyin' ye. Not 'til ye've learned everything."

At the sound of his name, Frost approached them and Maura directed him to lead Jane around the ship. "Please show Miss Rizzoli where everythin' is located, will ye? The galley, storeroom, the gunners' stations an' such."

"Of course, Captain. Come along, Miss Rizzoli." Jane followed Frost, tripping as a swell rocked the ship, and he caught her arm.

Maura smiled at the flush that covered her cheeks before turning her attention to the gaping crewmen who had caught a glimpse of the brunette and leaned over the railing. "Get back tae work, ye lazy dogs! We're nae away from the shore yet, an' ye'll nae have any rest 'til we are!" They scrambled back to their duties as she relaxed, a satisfied smirk on her lips.

* * *

Maura leaned against the door to her quarters that evening; watching as the waves gently rocked the ship from side to side as the dusky sky lit with innumerable stars. A handful of sailors climbed about the rigging, but otherwise the deck was deserted. The faint rumble of voices from below-decks, where the other crewmen were supping, reached her ears over the splash of water against the hull, and light suddenly spilled out across the wooden floor.

"Thank you for showing me around, Frost."

"No problem, Miss Rizzoli. I'm glad you're here." She heard Frost and Jane exchange a few more hushed words, then her Quartermaster's heavy tread retreated. A few moments later, Jane's unruly hair appeared on the stairs and the brunette walked up to Maura, eyes glowing in the nearly set sun that reflected off the water at their backs.

"Good evenin', Miss Rizzoli. I hope Mister Frost treated ye agreeably?"

"He showed me everything on the ship, it was…kind of awesome, actually." Jane reclined against the jamb at Maura's side, crossing her arms over her chest. "I wanted to ask you about that, now that I've seen everything. I saw crates of cloth, food, and the like below…you must have brought goods to America, as well?"

Maura studied Jane's profile in the dimming light, the shape planes of her face and the shadows of her eyes. She quirked her lips and opened the door to their quarters. "Come inside, Miss Rizzoli, I've somethin' tae show ye." Jane followed Maura to the desk on the wall of the room as Maura sifted through the rolled papers stuffed neatly into cubbies at the back of it. "This is a manifest of our goods."

Jane skimmed the paper, noting the myriad goods they brought to America from Europe and northern Africa. "Herbs, spices, animals…"

"An' this," Maura presented a thicker sheaf of papers to Jane, keeping it in her grasp as the brunette gripped it, "is our documents that show the…prizes…we've taken on our voyages." Maura kept Jane's gaze another moment before surrendering the sheaf of papers and watched with trepidation as she scanned them. A furrow appeared between her eyes the further she read and her eyes tightened. She glanced sharply up at Maura once she reached the end of the page.

"You're a pirate?"

"I prefer privateer, pirate has such…negative connotations," Maura waved her hand. "But, aye, pirate would be more accurate, since I've nae been hired by anyone tae take the prizes we dae."

"These things…goods, servicemen, slaves…what do you do with them?"

"Most o' the things go tae the colonies tae be sold. Others come along with us 'til we reach a…safe haven. I dannae condone slavery, Miss Rizzoli, understand that _clearly._ People cannae own each other, nae matter how much ye pay." She scowled heavily and sneered. "The slaves from prizes we take stay on the ship they were on, an' Mister Frost steers it tae an island south o' the colonies. Lovely people down there, they dannae mind us droppin' off able bodies tae populate their lands.

"The sailors…they get a choice. Join me, or be left tae float in their ship after we disable it." A flinty glint came into Maura's hazel eyes and Jane felt a thrill run down her spine. Maura took the papers out of Jane's hand and replaced them in their cubby, then pulled another, less thick sheaf out of a nearby hole. "This has all the names o' the people we've helped, along with the sailors we've recruited an' those who've refused my terms. A pirate I may be, Miss Rizzoli, but I'm nae without my honor."

Jane took the paper from Maura's hand, sitting at the desk as she read through it. Maura took a seat on the edge of the bed, removing her boots with a happy sigh, and watched Jane study the papers. She unlaced her corset slowly, feeling the give in the stiff cloth as each lace came undone, and let it fall from her torso, stretching luxuriously and groaning. When she opened her eyes, Jane was staring unabashedly at her, mouth open and eyes appraising her.

"Dae ye like what ye see, Miss Rizzoli?" Jane blushed and whipped her head around, muttering lowly to herself as Maura chuckled. She stood and stretched again, from her fingers to the tips of her socked toes, and ambled over to Jane. She draped herself over her shoulder, looking at the document the brunette was perusing, and noticed the small notations made in the margins of the account books. "What are ye doin', Miss Rizzoli?"

"I found some problems in your accounts; nothing major, but a few small errors every now and again add up." Maura could feel the tension in Jane's shoulders, the heat radiating from her cheek, and smirked. She hummed thoughtfully as she molded her body further into Jane's, hooking her chin over her shoulder so they were pressed cheek to cheek. "Maura, what-"

"Dae ye wan'tae by my accountant? Mister Frost has been keepin' my books as my Quartermaster, but he has so many other duties already; an' besides, ye seem tae know what ye're doin'." Jane stuttered and Maura laughed quietly, watching her breath disturb the flyaway hair at Jane's ear. "I need an answer, Miss Rizzoli, then I'll leave ye be."

"I…uhm, I mean – of course, sure."

"That's my bonnie lass," Maura said, pecking Jane's cheek and dancing back before she could move. She pulled her shirt over her head as she walked away, luxuriating in the cool air that caressed her skin. She rifled through a built-in drawer for an old, overly large shirt to wear for sleep – out of deference to Jane, who had turned nearly purple when Maura began disrobing the night before – and shimmied out of her pants after shrugging the thin material over her shoulders.

"Now that we've finished that, dae ye care tae retire? 'tis quite late, Miss Rizzoli, an' we have an early day on the morrow." She sat on the bed and patted the comforter, watching Jane stall as she slowly put the papers back in their cubbies before approaching the bed. "Come now, surely ye dannae mean tae sleep in those clothes?"

"I don't really have anything else, Maura."

"Ye kin borrow some o' mine 'til we've given ye yer own," Maura waved her hand flippantly and directed Jane to another drawer built into the wall. "There are clothes in there that should fit ye, seein' as ye are a mite taller than I. Take yer pick."

She watched Jane hesitantly pull a shirt and tattered pair of pants out of the drawer and look around for a private place to change. "I'll cover my eyes, if'n that'll make ye feel better."

Jane eyed her warily but conceded and Maura closed her eyes, going to far as to turn her head away as she listened to Jane quickly disrobe and pull the borrowed clothes over her body.

"Okay."

Maura smiled to see Jane in her clothes and beckoned her closer. "Come tae bed, Miss Rizzoli, I dannae bite." When Jane perched on the edge of the bed, Maura smiled toothily and leaned in close. "Unless ye ask, o' course." She laughed when Jane nearly fell off the bed in her haste to open up a little space between them and got under the thin covers still chuckling. "Come, come, I promise tae behave, although 'tis nae as much fun that way."

"I don't know if I trust you."

Maura was abruptly serious as she sat up and regarded Jane critically. "I will _never_ harm ye intentionally, Jane, I hope ye know that. I may tease ye, but 'tis simply 'cause o' yer entertainin' reactions. Believe me when I say that, at least."

Jane regarded her for a few more moments, then her shoulders slumped and she slid into the bed silently, lying on her back beneath the covers. Maura lay back down and scooted next to her, mirroring Jane's pose with clasped hands over her stomach, staring up at the wooden beams overhead mutely. "Is the part where you say you're attracted to me?"

A surprised burst of laughter slipped from Maura's lips as she turned onto her side, watching gleefully as Jane's cheeks darkened visibly in the dim glow of the candle on the bedside table. "Why, Miss Rizzoli, only if'n this be the part where ye admit yer own attraction."

Eyes gleaming playfully, she ducked her head to press lips against Jane's cheek again before turning over. "Go tae sleep, Miss Rizzoli, we've a long voyage ahead o' us, an' ye have much tae learn on the way."


	9. Spirit and Honesty

Thanks for your patience, guys! You all rock, seriously! Work and Life caught up to me and I swear I met myself running backwards a couple times the past couple weeks. For your perusal, and in thanks for the awesome support and epicness you all have, here's another chapter!

Also, guest sue, I'm stoked you're enjoying this story so much; I wanted to explore a different dynamic between Jane and Maura but also make them mostly canon, personality wise. I just wanted Maura to be more dominant than she normally is portrayed since we do occasionally see her claws come out on the show.

Read on!

* * *

 _"I_ _don't know if I trust you."_

 _Maura was abruptly serious as she sat up and regarded Jane critically. "I will never harm ye intentionally, Jane, I hope ye know that. I may tease ye, but 'tis simply 'cause o' yer entertainin' reactions. Believe me when I say that, at least."_

 _Jane regarded her for a few more moments, then her shoulders slumped and she slid into the bed silently, lying on her back beneath the covers. Maura lay back down and scooted next to her, mirroring Jane's pose with clasped hands over her stomach, staring up at the wooden beams overhead mutely._

 _"Is this the part where you say you're attracted to me?"_

 _A surprised burst of laughter slipped from Maura's lips as she turned onto her side, watching gleefully as Jane's cheeks darkened visibly in the dim glow of the candle on the bedside table. "Why, Miss Rizzoli, only if'n this be the part where ye admit yer own attraction."_

 _Eyes gleaming playfully, she ducked her head to press lips against Jane's cheek again before turning over. "Go tae sleep, Miss Rizzoli, we've a long voyage ahead o' us, an' ye have much tae learn on the way."_

* * *

Jane stood on the main deck of Maura's ship, staring out over the endless ocean waves that lapped at the horizon and holding onto the rigging with a hand as the ship rolled from side to side in the restless waters. She smiled faintly as the warmth of the midday sun warmed her skin and tipped her head back.

"Get outta th' way, girl!" She jumped at the gruff voice and slipped on the slick wood, nearly cracking her head on the rail as she fell. The sailor behind her laughed meanly and stepped over her, lithely pulling himself up the rigging onto the lower mast. "Best get yer sea legs, girl, lest ya fall inta the sea's cold embrace!" He spit to one side as he trimmed the sails and hummed tunelessly to himself, ignoring Jane.

Jane tightened her trembling hands into fists as she stood and brushed off the seat of her pants. She wandered away with forced nonchalance toward the bow of the ship where she cautiously ventured to straddle the railing and watch the ship slice through the water. The spray felt good on her skin and she lost herself in the sound of water against the hull, the bustle of the sailors at her back, and jumped when a heavy hand landed on her shoulder.

A kindly, weathered looking older man regarded her from under creased brows, a heavy shadow of nearly white beard obscuring his jawline. "You may want to return to the captain's side, or the Quartermaster's, child. These men aren't the most…caring."

"I've noticed. I nearly gave the last one a bloody nose when he startled me," Jane muttered, kicking her heel against the railing idly.

He laughed, a full sound made with his whole body, and eased her back onto the deck, then clapped her gently on the shoulder. "Come, I'll take you to them. I think they're conferring in the captain's quarters."

Jane walked beside the man silently, steadfastly avoiding the other sailors' eyes. "You speak pretty well for a sailor," she mentioned quietly.

"Aye, but I wasn't always a sailor. And anyway, being on a ship is no reason for poor speech if you can help it." Jane snorted, muffling a chuckle behind her hand. "You don't think so?"

"No, no, it's just kind of funny to hear from…well, someone who looks like you." Jane gestured at the man's grizzled features, his worn but well-kept clothes, and the gut that was threatening to burst the buttons of his shirt.

He chuckled deep in his throat, eyes twinkling merrily. "Someone who looks like me? You mean a portly, older man who hasn't shaved in a couple weeks?" He scratched his beard with a wry smile. "I suppose I can see what you mean. I'm Korsak; I'm the ship's carpenter and surgeon, as well as resident animal caretaker."

"Jane Rizzoli," she returned with a smile, shaking his hand firmly. "Nice to meet someone else who isn't a complete…"

"Ass?"

"Yeah."

"You're like the new toy, and everyone wants to see what you can do. Give them an inch, and they'll run with it. You have to stand up for yourself, Miss Rizzoli."

Jane made a face as they walked up the stairs toward the captain's quarters. "Yeah." As her hand landed on the knob of the door, Korsak set his hand on her shoulder.

"I mean it, Miss Rizzoli. Once you learn to fend for yourself, you'll find this ship a rather pleasant place as long as you don't mind the cursing and occasionally vulgar comments the men make. Find your niche and you'll do just fine." She nodded and watched him smile genially before releasing her and wandering back onto the deck.

Jane pushed the door open to find Maura and Frost bent over something spread across the desk. As she walked over, she realized it was an extensive map of the Atlantic and the lands that bordered it, from the colonies to western Europe and the northwestern coast of Africa. "Maura?"

"Ach, Miss Rizzoli, ye cannae dae that tae me!" Maura whipped around, hand pressed against her chest and a surprised expression on her face. "I'm liable tae get white hairs if ye keep that up." Frost and Jane both snickered, smothering their mirth behind their hands when the captain turned half hearted glares on them in turn.

"Captain, you'd look lovely as always even with white hairs."

"Flatterer."

Maura flashed Frost a smile and Jane eased up beside them, peering down at the map curiously. "What are you doing?"

"We're plottin' a course back tae home, but takin' a rather…scenic route tae get there."

"She means we need to avoid the British bastards coming across the ocean, but also try and find at least one or two prizes to take on our way back. It's proving rather difficult at the moment, since the wind is against us to travel the main trading route and we don't have enough supplies to last the trip if we go that way."

"Prizes?"

Jane watched Maura and Frost exchange an inscrutable look and the Captain nodded at the Quartermaster. Frost cleared his throat, scratching the side of his neck thoughtfully. "A prize is one of the ways we afford to pay our crew, make repairs, feed everyone. We…you know we aren't doing strictly _legal_ things, correct, Miss Rizzoli?" Jane nodded silently. "Well, sometimes we need to…supplement our cash flow. We use other ships as that extra income."

"Like?..."

"We take their goods and sell them elsewhere," he said bluntly, "among other things. We've also taken entire ships and sold them to other people."

Jane blinked, striding quietly over to the map they were hovering over, and traced random lines across the surface. Maura and Frost let her have a moment to gather her thoughts. "So…you take these ships, fight their crews if need be, and sell their cargo?"

"Usually, aye."

"What if they're slave ships?"

Maura's eyes went hard and flinty, like when she found Jane in the midst of the tavern brawl, and her lip curled in a sneer. "I cannae abide by those _inhuman_ arses, Miss Rizzoli. People who think they kin own another human bein'…they dannae deserve the bullet I wan'tae put 'tween their eyes. Any slave ships we run intae that I think we kin take, we dae, an' release the people aboard those death traps back in their lands.

"Much the better, I like tae believe, although I know the reality is less happy'n I want it tae be." Maura's hand covered Jane's and emotional hazel eyes searched for hers. "The money from those ships go tae the people we release, spread evenly amongst them sae they have a chance. The crewmen…" Her jaw lifted and her eyes flashed dangerously. Jane knew what she would say without a doubt and shook her head.

"Good."

They stayed in that moment until Frost subtly cleared his throat and awkwardly released the hold on the other's hand. Jane swept her eyes across the map once more, noting the points that had been driven into various spots scattered across the oceanic expanse. "I assume these are the routes we could take to get…where, exactly?"

"Back home, tae my fair Ireland. But, we dae need tae take a prize 'fore we get there." The waters here," she pointed at a corridor crisscrossed with points, "are tae choppy this time o' year, an' I wan'tae avoid as many o' the English bastards as I kin. Sae, I think we should go tae the northern corridor; fewer naval ships, more carrying cargo we kin sell at home."

Frost nodded contemplatively and Jane studied the map silently. "What will happen if we do come across a…prize?"

"I'll send the men tae their stations an' Mister Frost will lead them in boardin' the ship. With any luck, we'll disable everyone an' leave them with naught but an empty cargo hold."

"What about me?"

"Ye? What about ye, Jane?"

"I'm not going to hide while this is happening, Maura." Jane's voice left no room for a rebuttal. She met Maura's eyes squarely, jaw tight with mulish determination, and crossed her arms. "I may not like the thought, but I won't let you just take me across the ocean without doing anything to help you."

Maura stared at her silently for a long moment, then slowly nodded. "Fine, if'n that's how ye feel. Mister Frost?"

"Aye, Captain?"

"Ye an' meself will teach Miss Rizzoli the basics o' piratin'. This will'nae be easy, Jane."

Jane lifted her lips in a lopsided smirk. "I don't like easy anyway, Maura. Something challenging makes the prize worth it."


	10. Lay Your Shoulders to the Wheel

Man, I feel like a schmuck for leaving this so long. I sincerely apologize, guys, time simply got away from me and, between work and this gods damned heat, writing hasn't exactly been plentiful. Next time I do something this stupid - and I will, I can guarantee it - just shoot me a message to get my ass in gear, yeah?

Anyway, I also was wondering what in the world happened to all my lovely readers! I've been getting a bunch of reviews for each chapter, and then last one, poof, only two. I'm not fishing for reviews, just wondering if I lost you all somewhere or it wasn't interesting or what was going on.

Edit: Thanks, CReynhout, for pointing out my goof. I actually didn't mean to leave my notes in, but apparently the document didn't save in word before I put it here *facepalm* I'm a fucking moron, somedays.

Read on!

* * *

 _"I'm not going to hide while this is happening, Maura." Jane's voice left no room for a rebuttal. She met Maura's eyes squarely, jaw tight with mulish determination, and crossed her arms. "I may not like the thought, but I won't let you just take me across the ocean without doing anything to help you."_

 _Maura stared at her silently for a long moment, then slowly nodded. "Fine, if'n that's how ye feel. Mister Frost?"_

 _"Aye, Captain?"_

 _"Ye an' meself will teach Miss Rizzoli the basics o' piratin'. This will'nae be easy, Jane."_

 _Jane lifted her lips in a lopsided smirk. "I don't like easy anyway, Maura. Something challenging makes the prize worth it."_

* * *

Jane muttered irritably as another crewman brushed by her on the deck of the loaded ship and squeezed herself further against the edge of the railing. Her lip curled as she felt another body slide behind her and she wheeled on her boots to lash out. Dark brown eyes met hers evenly and Jane felt the air rush out of her suddenly as she sank back against the rail. "Frost."

"Miss Rizzoli." He seemed content to watch her from a few paces away, hands stuffed into his worn pants and a faint smile on his lips. "What are you up to this fine day at sea?"

"Currently?" Jane snorted, reminded of her earlier ire, and roughly ran her fingers through her already mussed hair. "I'm trying _really_ hard not to lose my temper. There's too many people around."

Frost's amused expression didn't waver. "That's part and parcel to being on a ship for an extended period, Miss Rizzoli."

"Speaking of, how long are we going to be at sea?"

"Roughly six weeks."

Jane's jaw dropped and she groaned emphatically. "You're kidding me."

"Afraid not," Frost said jovially.

Jane rubbed her palm roughly against her face and muttered under her breath, stalking away silently toward the Captain's quarters. She yanked the door open and shut herself within, breathing the salty air deeply as the myriad voices became muffled behind the sturdy wooden beams of the room. She paced restlessly in the space afforded her between the bed and desk, watching her feet as she turned again and again until she lost count of the steps and rammed her thigh into the heavy wood of the desk built into the wall.

"Dammit!"

She rubbed the area and scowled heavily at the piece of furniture, then yanked the chair away from it and threw herself into it. She rummaged idly through the drawers and came upon the accounts for the entire crew, her eye catching several small errors as she perused the ledgers. She grabbed a quill that was set aside and dipped the nib into a pot of ink, then opened up the book to the first page and began scribbling.

* * *

Maura stood behind the wheel of the ship and stared out across the water, shading her eyes against the afternoon sunlight that cast the ocean in hues of red and yellow. She smiled faintly as the scent of brine reached her nose and cast her eyes across the deck at her men. Her eyes alighted on Frost, who was smirking as he walked up the stairs toward her. He paused beside the wheel and briskly saluted her, grinning when she waved him off.

"Nae need fer that, Mister Frost. Ye know I cannae abide all the formalities."

"Aye, but I like to ruffle your feathers sometimes, Captain." Maura shot him a look and they lapsed into silence, broken only by the words of the crew and the creak of the masts as the sails strained with the wind filling them. "She struggles a bit," Frost suddenly said. Maura looked at him from the corner of her eyes and raised her brow in question. "Don't look at me like that, you know well who I speak of."

"Miss Rizzoli."

"Aye, our lovely addition." Frost didn't miss the sharp glance the Captain threw him and held up his hands innocently. "I mean nothing by it, but you would have to be blind not to see how attractive she is. I don't tread near what isn't mine, Captain."

"Indeed," she said quietly, frowning slightly. "How does she struggle?"

"She doesn't seem to know what exactly to do with herself, and is having a hard time adjusting to the lack of privacy. I think she's restless, Maura." He caught the look she gave him at the sound of her first name and kept her gaze. "She needs purpose, something to keep her busy."

"Aye, Mister Frost, an' she will learn, but-"

"But nothing, Maura," he said gently, firmly. "Don't put this off until tomorrow, or the next day. We've got five weeks at best before we make landfall, and you know as well as I how slowly the days pass without anything to occupy oneself with." Maura nodded to herself, eyes once more searching the deck.

"She stormed off a while ago. I think she headed to your shared quarters." Maura froze and glanced at Frost, a telltale flush high on her cheeks. "Go see what she's gotten into; offer to teach her some of your skills." He gently pushed Maura out of the way and put his hands on the spokes of the wheel, hip checking her when she continued to stare.

Maura walked onto the main deck and into her quarters, spying Jane at the desk beneath one of four portholes that framed the edges of the room. Sunlight spilled into the cabin, giving the brunette plenty of light as she bent over a book laid out on the desk. The scratch of the quill on paper and Jane's quiet muttering were the only sounds in the room, and the sounds of the crew and the ocean beating against the sides of the ship seemed far away at that moment.

Maura silently crossed to stand behind Jane and set her hands on her shoulders. "What are ye doin'?"

The quill skittered across the paper with a jolt, leaving behind a thick black line through several scrawled notes in the margins next to a long series of prizes and the goods taken from them. Maura smelled the salt of the ocean and a hint of lavender as Jane's head whipped about. Wide brown eyes met hers and they stared at each other, Jane's pulse visibly calming as Maura grinned crookedly.

"Dimple."

"I beg yer pardon?"

Jane flushed down to the neckline of her shirt and looked away bashfully. "You have a dimple when you smile; it's…nice."

Maura laughed at the top of Jane's head, covering her grinning mouth when dark eyes met hers. "I'm sorry, but 'tis a mite funny."

Jane tilted her head to the side and Maura felt her stomach flutter. "What do you mean?"

"I mean the fact that ye noticed a genetic deformity and labeled it 'nice.'"

"I don't – I mean, it's better than nice, it's adorable and makes you look gorgeous and I'm going to stop talking now." Jane's jaw audibly clicked shut, comically wide eyes staring at Maura without blinking; the edge of panic laced through chocolate irises.

Maura smiled reassuringly and caught the way Jane's eyes drifted toward her lips – and, ostensibly, the dimple, she thought – for a second before jerking back up to her amused gaze. "So, 'fore ye keel over on me deck, I thought 'twould be prudent tae ask if'n ye felt like learnin' some trade skills. Since ye're gon'tae be onboard fer quite some time an' all." Jane nodded frantically, jumping to her feet and tripping over air on her hasty ascent. Maura caught her by the arm as she jerked forward, laughing liltingly. "O' course, ye mightn't last long if'n ye dae that again. Ye jes' may end up o'er the rail, Miss Rizzoli." She reveled in the deep flush Jane sported as she drew her out of the cabin and onto the lower deck.

A few crewmen gave them curious looks but quickly went back to their work and, as they stalled in the middle of the deck close to the center mast, Jane felt herself relax marginally. "So, what do you want me to do?" She crossed her arms and affected an air of loose limbed confidence, watching as Maura prowled in front of her with a finger tapping contemplatively against her lips. The captain stopped in front of her with a smirk just touching her lips, making her dimple pop and catch Jane's eyes.

"I want ye…tae climb the mast."

"I beg your pardon?"

Maura laughed musically and leaned against the mast, picking at a fingernail. "'Tis a rite o' passage fer any crewman I take on. I did it meself when I first acquire this ship. Now, ye haf'tae dae it." She canted her head to the side, hair shifting with the movement and brushing against the hooks bored around the massive timber at waist height. "Sae, what will ye dae, Miss Rizzoli?"

Jane eyed Maura balefully and then turned her gaze up, up, up, to the crow's nest nestled amongst the sails near the top of the mast. She scrunched her face up as she thought. "Are there any rules?"

"Get tae the top without usin' the ladder," Maura said simply.

"Nothing else?"

"Nay, 'less ye want there tae be."

"No, that's alright, I like no rules." Jane smiled toothily as she walked away from the captain, feeling her curious gaze boring into her back as she inspected the heavy ropes looped neatly over a series of hooks on the wall outside the captain's quarters. She grabbed two short sections of rope with heavy hooks tied to the ends of them and they lazily swung at her sides as she sauntered back to the middle of the deck. She felt more and more eyes on her as she eyed the mast and her tools momentarily, shutting out the nervous flutter in her stomach. "Time limit?"

"Nay, Miss Rizzoli. Take all the time ye need."

Maura pushed off the mast and gestured grandly at it. Jane twirled one of the hooks through the air as she approached the massive pole. The hooks echoed across the suddenly quiet deck as they met and locked around each other, and Jane offered a cocksure grin as she tested the give and wrapped the ropes around her knuckles securely.

"See you at the top." She pressed one foot, then the other, against the mast and gave the rope enough slack to slide it up the mast, took a couple steps, and repeated. The minutes passed in silence, broken only by the quiet wash of water against the hull of the ship, the metallic clang of the hooks as they slackened and tightened with each ascent, and Jane's quiet grunts of exertion.

Every crewmate shaded their eyes as they followed the brunette's progress, and Maura felt her heart flutter when Jane paused in the last third of the challenge, visibly panting. "C'mon," she whispered, gasping when one of Jane's feet slipped against the wood. Her heart lurched into her throat and she tensed as the brunette barely caught herself and a faint groan reached her ears, barely relaxing when Jane pushed away and resumed her climb.

A few tense minutes later, she was sitting on the edge of the crow's nest, waving wearily down at the assembled crew on the main deck. There was a long moment of silence, then the men below broke into rowdy cheers, pumping their fists and applauding Jane as she panted for breath and wiped at the blood beneath her nose. She took another long minute to catch her breath before descending the ladder on shaky arms, nearly falling the last eight feet as her hands slipped on the rope.

She was caught by Maura and cradled against her side as the captain grinned broadly. "Good job, Jane, that was fantastic! I've ne'er seen anyone climb the mast like that 'fore!" Maura pulled her into a bone crushing hug and Jane let herself fall limply against the smaller woman, head pressed against her shoulder as she finally relaxed. The crew slowly scattered until Jane and Maura were the only ones left by the mast, and Maura gently pushed Jane back to look at her face.

"Ye're alright?"

"Mostly," the brunette said, shrugging blithely.

Maura's gaze focused on the unaligned bridge of her nose and the dried crust of blood beneath her nostrils. "Broken nose; likely a fracture o' the nasal cartilage. I kin pop it back intae place if'n ye want."

"Yeah, sure, just do – _ow, goddammit, Maura!_ Warn me next time!"

"I hope ye dannae plan on getting' another broken nose at all, Jane. It's tae bad we dannae have any ice; ye're gon'tae have a nice set o' black eyes fer the next week or sae."

"Ugh, of course I am." Jane's palm smacked her face, and then she groaned again.

Maura's brows wrinkled before smoothing out and she laughed lightly. "I wouldnae suggest doin' that again."

"Ya think?"


	11. To Decide the Important Questions

**To all the wonderful people** who left messages for me and were happy to hear from me again, all I have to say is...da'aaw, you's gonna make me blush (^/w/^)

 **To all the wonderful guests** who left reviews, damn I wish you were signed in so I could talk with you more, but this will have to suffice, I suppose: My muses have not abandoned me, thankfully, but Life is a bitch and likes to remind me of that fact every so often by shoving some things in my way. I'm stoked you all are enjoying this story so much and leave the great messages you do, they genuinely make my days.

 **To the French Guest:** I believe the word you are looking for is 'sly' or cunning,' if Google Translate is changing 'rusée' correctly for me.

 **To Guest rac:** I'm glad you like the personalities I've given our girls this go round. I'm trying to make them true to themselves while also exploring different facets of their canon personalities, and I love that you think I'm doing a good job of it.

 **To killie 64** : You have left me the most amazing reviews, and I would absolutely love to write something for you if you wish. Leave me a PM or something in a review and we'll talk more!

Read on!

* * *

 _Maura's gaze focused on the unaligned bridge of her nose and the dried crust of blood beneath her nostrils. "Broken nose; likely a fracture o' the nasal cartilage. I kin pop it back intae place if'n ye want."_

 _"Yeah, sure, just do – ow, goddammit, Maura! Warn me next time!"_

 _"I hope ye dannae plan on getting' another broken nose at all, Jane. It's tae bad we dannae have any ice; ye're gon'tae have a nice set o' black eyes fer the next week or sae."_

 _"Ugh, of course I am." Jane's palm smacked her face, and then she groaned again._

 _Maura's brows wrinkled before smoothing out and she laughed lightly. "I wouldnae suggest doin' that again."_

 _"Ya think?"_

* * *

Maura woke early the next morning and blinked sleepily in the murky dawn. Her hazy gaze traveled across the cabin from the windows that were barely lit to the desk littered with papers and her logbooks, their pages filled with notations and scratched out lines of miscounted funds. Her waistcoat lay draped over the chair by the desk and her boots carelessly toed off by the legs, accompanied by Jane's own scuffed up shoes and worn, patched pants. Her mind turned to the brunette, who lay facing Maura, face still slack in sleep and one arm thrown over the captain's waist. She had, at some point in the night, scooted toward the center of the bed from her original point hovering on the edge of the mattress, and wrapped herself tightly around Maura's slight frame. Maura smiled sleepily and let her fingers wove through the tangled expanse of Jane's hair that had found its way onto her pillow as she listened to her deep, even breaths and relaxed back into the mattress. Jane shifted in her sleep, murmuring nonsensically as she nuzzled into Maura's shoulder and threw her leg across her hips. Maura's breath stuttered as Jane breathed softly against her neck and she stared down at the crown of the brunette's head with an inquisitive expression on her face.

She lay in the bed with Jane draped half over her until the sky was shot through with color and the sounds of the crew moving about outside the cabin began to rouse the brunette. Jane muttered unintelligibly against Maura's neck, then shifted and groaned, fingers flexing and kneading sleepily at her waist. "Good mornin', dear," Maura murmured with a smile in her voice.

"Mmmmm…M'r, go back t' sl'p….'s too early…" Jane's hand flopped half-heartedly on Maura's hip for a second as she tucked her head more snuggly into the crook of her neck and sighed contently.

Maura chuckled quietly as she carded her fingers through Jane's curls and injected a bit of levity into her voice. "The day is begun, time tae gae goin'."

"Mmmm, noooooooo…don' wanna. Y'r warm." Jane pointedly burrowed closer to Maura and stuck her hand beneath Maura's loose night shirt. The pads of her fingers splayed across Maura's waist and she felt goosebumps race across her skin with each half asleep pass over the flare of her hip. "An' soft, too. Stay." As Jane possessively curled her fingers over her hip, Maura resigned herself to enjoying the press of a warm body against hers and the gentle rocking of her ship on the ocean.

* * *

"Sae, this is what we're gon'tae dae today, Jane." Maura presented the target she had asked Korsak to rig up with a flourish and watched Jane's expression. The brunette canted her head sideways and raised her brow.

"And that is?..."

"A target, m'dear. Fer our first lesson o' the day."

Jane suddenly perked up and her eyes lit with excitement. "You're going to teach me to shoot?"

"If'n ye like; 'tis a good skill tae have, 'specially out here." Jane grinned and made grabby hands at Maura as she walked over and pulled her pistol from behind her back. Maura held it just out of reach and caught Jane's eyes. "Nae, understan' that ye mustn't dae anythin' _stupid_ with this, ye ken? Dannae put yer finger in the trigger guard 'less ye intend on firin', an' never point it at someone, alright?"

"Yes, okay, now gimmee!"

"This is my personal weapon; I've already loaded it an' left it at half –cock fer ye tae handle safely." Jane very nearly danced in place until Maura handed over her pistol with a small grin and stepped aside. "Sae, posture first. Stand straight but relaxed, feet planted firmly…good, that's right." Maura appraised Jane's stance with a critical eye and nodded approvingly as she approached her.

"Next, yer pistol; raise yer gun arm an' sight down the barrel." While Jane lifted the weapon and eyed the target, Maura studied her posture and stepped in behind her. "Dannae slouch, Jane, it ruins yer shot, an' yer posture." She placed her hand at the small of Jane's back and gently pushed until the brunette straightened. Hand lingering in the dip of her spine as she looked over Jane's shoulder, Maura hummed to herself. "When yer ready, dear."

Jane inhaled, flexed her fingers around the grip of the pistol, and pulled the hammer back completely, then pulled the trigger. The bark of the bullet as it was discharged from the rifled barrel seemed to startle Jane and she leaned stiffly back against Maura's chest. The corner of the wooden target exploded into shrapnel and littered the deck of the ship as many crewmen turned to find the source of the noise.

"Naethin' tae see, gents, back tae work!" Maura waited until everyone's eyes left them before she pulled away from Jane with the trail of fingers against her spine and approached the target. "Nae bad fer yer first time, Jane. Better than meself, tae be sure." She smiled over her shoulder at Jane, lips twisting crookedly at the dazed expression lingering on the brunette's face.

"Kin I have me gun back? I'd like tae show ye how tae load it an' take care o' her properly." She showed Jane how the barrel unscrewed from the rest of the mechanism and how she packed the gunpowder and lead ball in the chamber before closing it again and handing it, grip first, to Jane.

"Dae it again."

They spent the morning shooting and reloading the pistol until Jane had essentially destroyed the target, leaving chunks of wood littering the upper deck and the faint tang of acrid smoke lingering on the wind. "I think ye've got quite a knack fer guns, m'dear. Might even give Mister Korsak a run fer his money."

As if summoned, the carpenter appeared on deck with a genial smile and made his way over to them. "I heard the lack of gunfire and figured you were done for the day. Captain, a word if I may?"

"O' course. Jane, kin ye take this back to our quarters an' clean her up? Treat her gently, she responds best tae a soft touch." With a wink and smirk, Maura walked away with Korsak, heads leaned close as they spoke and left Jane standing with her jaw dropped in befuddlement and heat rushing to her cheeks.

* * *

"Lift your guard! Get your arm up faster, Miss Rizzoli!"

"I am, dammit!"

"No, you really aren't. I could get piss drunk and still beat you."

"Bite me, Frost."

"I'd rather my blade did the biting, to be honest."

With that, Frost efficiently put Jane on her ass once more with a swipe of the heavy, blunt practice blades. Jane yelped as she landed on her back and groaned loudly. Frost grinned good naturedly and extended his hand to Jane, who started to reach out before freezing and scoffing. She lifted herself slowly to her feet under his dancing eyes, brandishing the practice sword unsteadily. "You're learning, good."

"Yeah, and it only took me three times of getting thrown around with your 'helping' hand," she groused, taking an experimental swipe at Frost. He easily deflected and jabbed at her arm, nodding in approval when she blocked and continued the motion with a powerful swipe.

Jane grinned until she was suddenly on her back again, sword sliding across the deck toward the mast. Jane flopped out and looked up at Maura's grinning face hanging over her, groaning piteously and waving her hand tiredly through the air. "Why'd you have to go and do that? I was just getting him right where I wanted him."

"I kin see that, dear, by the bruises on yer skin." Maura poked experimentally at a bruise on Jane's bicep with the toe of her boot and chuckled when Jane winced. "Ye should've started with someone…er, less experienced an' more likely tae _help_ ye instead o' playin' with ye." She held her hand out and Jane hesitated a long moment before taking it and letting the captain help her to her feet. Maura kept her hand grasped in hers when Jane tried to walk over to the practice blade and rubbed her thumb along Jane's knuckles at the confused expression on her face. "Would ye take a walk with me, Jane?"

"Uhm, yeah, just…"

"I'll get it, Miss Rizzoli. But you'd better be ready tomorrow; I won't let you off easily just because our fair captain came to your rescue." He smiled when Jane flushed and walked over to pick up the sword as Maura tugged the brunette away from the lower deck. They walked into their shared quarters and Maura shut the doors while Jane turned to face her.

"So…"

"Sit, we've some things tae discuss."

Jane perched gingerly on the edge of the bed and Maura paced in front of her, boots clicking on the worn wooden floor. She stopped in front of Jane, arms crossed over her chest and a contemplative frown on her face. "I dannae mean tae sound callous, Miss Rizzoli, but I have tae know; will ye help when we get intae a scuffle with a prize? An' we will, mark me words; they supplement our coffers sae I kin pay the crew an' buy supplies between runs." She met Jane's eyes squarely and tilted her head to the side. "Will ye stand beside us durin' battle?"

Jane stared up at her with an inscrutable expression, jaw clenching and unclenching in thought. "If I refuse," she asked quietly.

Maura crouched before her, caging the brunette in with arms on either side of her legs. "I will'nae hurt ye, never fear that, but I cannae simply let ye cruise 'cross the ocean fer free. Dae ye understand? I need some sort o' recompense fer me troubles, dear. I have'nae been teachin' ye how tae handle a weapon only fer me piece o' mind."

Jane smiled wryly and somewhat bitterly down at Maura, reaching down to idly toy with the loose ends of her tunic ties. "That's quite the business proposition, Captain. Can't give something for nothing, I get it. Basics of any trade."

"Jane, that is'na-"

"It's fine, I get it." Jane stood, forcing Maura to scramble back to avoid falling over, and made her way to the doors. "I'll be a good little crewman and help you. A Rizzoli always pays their debts, one way or another." Maura watched in dismay as Jane slipped out the door, leaving her standing in the middle of the cabin wondering where she had gone wrong.

* * *

I know it's kind of short, but quality over quantity, yeah? Already got the next chapter partway finished, shouldn't be nearly as long a wait.

Points (and a cookie!) to anyone who finds the little Game of Thrones reference I threw in this chapter!


	12. Let us Animate and Encourage Each Other

Alright, moving on! You guys are epic and amazeballs and any other number of superlatives I can think of, seriously.

 **To my lovely guests - who should really sign in so I can talk with you personally ;)**

SyriusDark-Stoked you're loving this, dude; here's some more!

Oolee-Thank you, thank you!

Emma-Pirates and Rizzles, two of my favorite things combined into one, plus history! Here you go!

Jazz001-Got it in one, dude. You get a cookie! *hands over cookie* Enjoy!

Guest-Glad you're enjoying, here's another.

Read on!

* * *

 _Maura crouched before her, caging the brunette in with arms on either side of her legs. "I will'nae hurt ye, never fear that, but I cannae simply let ye cruise 'cross the ocean fer free. Dae ye understand? I need some sort o' recompense fer me troubles, dear. I have'nae been teachin' ye how tae handle a weapon only fer me piece o' mind."_

 _Jane smiled wryly and somewhat bitterly down at Maura, reaching down to idly toy with the loose ends of her tunic ties. "That's quite the business proposition, Captain. Can't give something for nothing, I get it. Basics of any trade."_

 _"Jane, that is'na-"_

 _"It's fine, I get it." Jane stood, forcing Maura to scramble back to avoid falling over, and made her way to the doors. "I'll be a good little crewman and help you. A Rizzoli always pays their debts, one way or another." Maura watched in dismay as Jane slipped out the door, leaving her standing in the middle of the cabin wondering where she had gone wrong._

* * *

Jane wandered the lower deck of the ship late that night, having yet to return to the cabin she shared with Maura. "Stupid mouth, why'd I have to go and open it…" She scuffed her boots along the deck and leaned on the sturdy railing, studying the reflection of the waning moon in the choppy water. The quiet creaking of the rigging and the groan of the wood as the sailcloth strained with the wind accompanied her morose thoughts, disturbed by the odd word from one of the few crewmen working the deck that night. "But she said…ugh." Jane hung her head and sighed deeply, rolling her shoulders as the breeze ruffled her shirt. She stared over the endless expanse of water, black as could be under the night sky and foreboding as the choppy waves lapped hungrily at the sides of the ship, until she heard heavy steps behind her.

"Finally left Captain's side, eh? Can't say I blame ye, she's ain't so stimulating as I am, after all." The man behind her rolled his hips and eyed her with blatant interest as he smiled greasily.

Jane sneered as she straightened and tried to push past him. "Sorry, not interested."

"Ye sure? I can guarantee I'm better than our dear Captain; lovely as she is, nothin' can compare to a nice, hard fucking by a real man."

He dragged his hand up Jane's arm and lingered on her shoulder, leaning in a little to try and pin her against the rail. She snarled, shoved him hard and stormed away, listening to his hacking laughter with the bitter taste of rage on her tongue and threatening to unleash itself on the sailor in a spew of cursing.

Jane stopped before the doors to the Captain's quarters and lingered there indecisively with her hand on the knob. She sighed again and opened it slowly, sliding in as soon as the crack was wide enough to get through, and carefully eased the door shut behind her. A candle guttered lowly on the desk, clothes scattered across the floor between the chair and bed, and Maura lay atop the covers, half propped up against the wall like she had been waiting for Jane. Her chin lay against her chest, hands curled in her lap and a frown that creased her brow on her lips even in sleep. Jane barely restrained the next sigh that gathered in her chest as she toed off her boots and left them by the door, unlacing her pants as she walked into the room toward the desk to snuff out the flickering flame. She carefully shuffled over to the bed in the near darkness, pausing when her knees bumped against the mattress. She held her breath until she was certain Maura wouldn't wake up, then gently eased herself onto the bed and laid stiffly on her side. Jane felt the gentle rolling of the ship under her and listened to Maura's quiet breathing, closing her eyes and eventually falling into a restless sleep.

She woke with the first light of dawn and gingerly sat up, watching Maura sleep beside her. The captain had slid down sometime in the night and was facing Jane, hand extended toward Jane across the empty expanse of mattress. Jane frowned as she tiptoed across the cabin and slid her pants on, toeing on her boots before slipping out the door. She sought out Korsak belowdecks in the large cabin that contained any tools he could need to repair the ship or work on the men that injured themselves.

"Hey, Korsak."

"Miss Rizzoli, good morning." He eyed her appraisingly and Jane winced, ducking her head to avoid his gaze. "What are you doing down here? No offense, but you don't seem the type to do woodworking or use a needle and thread." He chuckled to himself as he pulled various tools out of cubbies that lined the wall and Jane stuffed her hands into her pockets.

"I'm not, not really. I just….needed some space."

"You won't find much of that on a ship, I'm afraid, Miss Rizzoli."

"Jane."

"I beg your pardon?"

"My name's Jane. Please, I'd rather you call me that than Miss Rizzoli," she mimicked in a gruff voice.

Korsak laughed as he nodded and held out his hand for her to shake. "Alright then, Jane. For the record, my name is Vince, but everyone calls me Korsak anyway, so it doesn't matter."

"Good to know." She pulled back and watched him turn a block of wood over and over in his hands, rubbing his thumb over the edges speculatively.

"Why?" Jane cocked her head to the side in confusion. "Why do you need space?"

"Oh, just – too…crowded."

Korsak eyed her balefully for a long moment. "Uh huh," he said suspiciously, "too crowded. Tell me another tale."

"I'm serious!"

"I'm sure you are, but that's not what's really bugging you." Korsak idly wielded the small but sharp looking knife, deftly making small notches in the wood without really looking at it. "Did one of the crewmen say something to you?"

"No. Well, not really. I can take care of them." Jane scowled in irritation at the reminder of the sailor's crude pass at her the night before. She sneered at the thought and waved her hand through the air. "Don't worry about me."

"Are you sure?"

Jane smiled weakly at the older man and waved off his concern. "Sure, sure. I suppose I should get back above deck." With a wave, Jane left the cabin and walked onto the main deck. She stepped out of the path of several sailors who were hauling some heavy line across the deck and approached Frost who stood near the railing, overseeing the work going on. "Morning, Frost."

"Jane, you're up early. Where's the captain?"

"I couldn't sleep," Jane said tersely. "The captain was still asleep when I left."

Frost's brow furrowed but he didn't comment otherwise, merely humming as his eyes scanned the deck and rigging above them. Jane leaned against the railing as Frost yelled at the sailors to keep their course and followed him to the upper deck, where he took the wheel and adjusted the rudder after consulting a compass briefly.

Maura emerged from the cabin as the sun completely appeared over the horizon, pants neatly tucked into her boots and dark shirt unlaced so it fluttered on the warm breeze and hair tied out of her face with a bandana. Her eyes searched the deck, settling on the back of Jane's head where the brunette stood in companionable silence with Frost. "Mornin', Mister Frost. How dae the weather fair today?"

"We've got a good tailwind this morning, although I wouldn't put money on it lasting past midday, and there are some clouds in distance that worry me a little." He gestured at the grey clouds gathering on the horizon before them and Maura hummed thoughtfully as she surreptitiously watched Jane from the corner of her eye. The brunette was stiff and silent as a muscle worked methodically in her jaw, hands shoved deep in her pockets as she steadfastly refused to look in Maura's direction.

"Miss Rizzoli," she said formally, "I trust ye slept well last night?"

Jane nodded silently and addressed Frost over Maura's head. "I'm going down below, I…I have some things to do."

She walked away without another word and Maura sighed, shaking her head as she stepped up to the wheel. "I kin take over from here, Mister Frost. Ye may return tae yer duties."

"As you say, Captain." Frost took a couple steps away and stopped with one foot on the stairs. "Maura?"

"Aye?"

"Whatever happened between you and Miss Rizzoli yesterday…forgive me if I speak out of turn, but don't let it ruin the friendship between you two. I haven't you get this close to anyone this quickly in quite a long time. She strikes me as a stubborn woman; show her you're willing to work through any troubles and don't let her walk away. Good day, Captain." With a tip of his head, Frost descended to the main deck and left Maura to contemplate his words as she stared over the wide ocean toward the east.

Frost descended belowdecks and found Jane pacing and muttering to herself in a long row between crates of cloth and dried foods. "Miss Rizzoli."

"Frost." She barely glanced at the Quartermaster as she paced down the length of the stacked crates, arms crossed over her chest as she began muttering again.

"Nice day," he said conversationally. Jane only grunted and Frost raised an eyebrow. "Okay, no, we're not doing this. Come with me."

He grabbed her shoulder and dragged her back onto the main deck, Jane dragging her feet the entire time and whining lowly. She nearly ran into him when he suddenly stopped and growled, "What are we doing up here? I thought-"

"That you were going to sulk belowdecks all day? I can think of better things to do, Miss Rizzoli." Frost spoke over Jane as she opened her mouth to object, eyeing her sternly. He told her to stay put as he disappeared into a storeroom behind the stairs and reappeared with two practice blades in hand. Tossing one to her, he got into a loose stance and smirked. "Come at me, Rizzoli."

Jane eyed the dull practice blade for a moment, weighing it in her hand before experimentally swiping through the air. "Come on, are you going to play at being a sailor, or are you one?"

Jane looked past Frost, toward the upper deck where Maura was standing at the wheel and steadfastly staring out across the deck toward the ocean. Her expression hardened, dark eyes staring through Frost as she took a stance and leveled her blade at him. "I'll show you what I am."

"All I'm getting right now is a lot of bluster, Rizzoli. Show me what you're made of." Jane lunged toward him and Frost deftly sidestepped her clumsy swipe. "You can do better than that."

Jane sneered as she righted herself and charged him again; Frost neatly parried her next attack and smacked her on the arm with the flat of his blade. She yelped, then snarled and thrust her weapon toward him; snarling in rage when he simply failed to be where she was aiming again. "God _damn_ you, stop prancing around like a damn ghost and _fight_ me!"

"You're fighting angry," he said conversationally as he smacked her again on her leg when she overextended, dancing backward before she could recover and standing easily with his blade at his side. "You make mistakes when you get angry; don't let it control you. Come at me again, Rizzoli."

"I'll show you anger," she muttered, eyes flinty with her wrath.

Jane was panting and disheveled while Frost was barely breathing hard, only a fine layer of sweat coating his brow as the warm ocean breeze blew over the deck. Jane pushed some wayward strands of hair out of her face in irritation and scowled at Frost's arrogant smirk. Her dark eyes studied him for a long moment, then Jane unexpectedly smiled and relaxed her stance. Frost frowned in confusion as she stalked toward him, suddenly looking dangerous and untouchable.

Frost startled when her arm came up and he blocked her attack, staggering back when her unoccupied hand came up and shoved his shoulder hard. Jane threw her weapon at him and, while he fumbled both blades, she cocked her fist back and punched him hard in the side. Frost reeled and Jane pressed her advantage, keeping her elbows tucked in against her sides and jabbing with her left fist again. She glanced off his arm and followed with a jab toward his stomach, smirking as he doubled over and gasped for air. Jane back off and allowed Frost an opportunity to regain his breath with a gracious wave of her hand.

"You've got quite an arm on you," he said, wincing a bit as he straightened.

Jane smirked more widely and shook out her hands a bit. "I have two younger brothers, both who know how to get in trouble; if I didn't learn how to take care of myself, they would have never made it past adolescence. We all know how to…"

"Piss people off," Frost offered with a grin.

Jane gasped dramatically and covered her mouth with her hand. "Mister Frost, how dare you say such crude words in front of me! I am a _lady!_ " She fanned her face overzealously and pantomimed fainting under his amused eyes.

Frost chuckled and picked up the dropped swords, offering one to Jane with a grin. "Care to try your luck again, this time _without_ any scary faces?"

"I dunno," she said thoughtfully, tapping her chin with her lips pursed, "I kind of like my scary faces, and if they keep you on your toes, that's just an added bonus. Buuuut, I suppose I can be magnanimous this one time." She held her weapon loosely in her grip and waved her hand. "You may proceed."

"Why thank you, kind lady. So, now that we're limbered – and tenderized," he rubbed his arm with an exaggerated pout under Jane's amused eyes, "let's get to the basics of swordplay."


	13. Double the Reward

THAT SERIES FINALE. Did anyone else find a bit of closure with the way they ended Rizzoli & Isles Monday night? I know I did; the producers redeemed themselves with that episode, I have to say. As much as this last season pissed me of, the fianl episode managed to fix quite a lot of it in my books and made me very happy with the open ended ending. Not ashamed to admit I cried through parts of it *coughJaneandMaura'svideoscough* and my inner - like WAY INNER - fangirl was squeeing gleefully when Jane pulled out her plane ticket.

This chapter fits oddly well with the finale, completely unintentional as I've had it written since last Wednesday and have been sitting on it until the finale was over and I could comment on it a bit.

Oolee - Frost is definitely the voice of reason and Jane's calming - and sometimes antagonizing - influence.

Read on!

* * *

 _She glanced off his arm and followed with a jab toward his stomach, smirking as he doubled over and gasped for air. Jane back off and allowed Frost an opportunity to regain his breath with a gracious wave of her hand. "You've got quite an arm on you," he said, wincing a bit as he straightened._

 _Jane smirked more widely and shook out her hands a bit. "I have two younger brothers, both who know how to get in trouble; if I didn't learn how to take care of myself, they would have never made it past adolescence. We all know how to…"_

 _"Piss people off," Frost offered with a grin._

 _Jane gasped dramatically and covered her mouth with her hand. "Mister Frost, how dare you say such crude words in front of me! I am a lady!" She fanned her face overzealously and pantomimed fainting under his amused eyes._

 _Frost chuckled and picked up the dropped swords, offering one to Jane with a grin. "Care to try your luck again, this time without any scary faces?"_

 _"I dunno," she said thoughtfully, tapping her chin with her lips pursed, "I kind of like my scary faces, and if they keep you on your toes, that's just an added bonus. Buuuut, I suppose I can be magnanimous this one time." She held her weapon loosely in her grip and waved her hand. "You may proceed."_

 _"Why thank you, kind lady. So, now that we're limbered – and tenderized," he rubbed his arm with an exaggerated pout under Jane's amused eyes, "let's get to the basics of swordplay."_

* * *

Jane limped into the captain's cabin late that evening, gingerly bracing her ribs with her forearm and rolling her shoulders as she shut the door behind her. She lit the lamp by the door then pulled her sweat damp shirt away from her skin with a grimace and carefully worked it over her head, depositing the shirt on the back of the chair by the desk and studying the welts on her ribs and stomach. "Frost sure doesn't pull any punches," she muttered, poking one of the dark bruises and wincing as pain radiated dully out from that point.

Jane laughed to herself as she untied the leather thong that had kept her hair out of her face and felt its comforting weight settle on her shoulders and tickle between her shoulder blades. "But I got him a couple times toward the end, too, showed him that I could learn." She laughed again and then froze, breath catching when her ribs protested the movement. Delicately supporting them, she dug through a drawer built into the wall and pulled out a clean shirt, leaving the laces undone and walking over to the open window to enjoy the cool evening breeze coming through the cabin. She felt her muscles slowly ease as she stared across the dark water, highlighted here and there with the few rays of light left from the nearly set sun.

Jane startled when the cabin's door opened behind her and whirled on her heel to watch Maura walk into the room, a worried frown on her lips as she distractedly pulled at the laces of her shirt. "Maura," Jane said, suddenly feeling all the stiffness rush back into her body as startled hazel eyes jerked up to meet hers.

"Jane, I – I didnae see ye there! I was jus' turnin' in fer the night, an'…" She gestured at the loosened laces of her shirt and smiled weakly.

Jane hummed, sweeping toward the door and Maura. "I'll just be-"

"Jane," Maura said quietly, reaching out to grab her wrist as the brunette tried to walk nonchalantly past her, "please, jus'…talk tae me. Please." Jane stood still, watching the way Maura's fingers danced nervously around her wrist, and barely caught the captain's next words. "I donnae know what I did tae irritate ye sae much the other day, but I would see it rectified. A ship is nae place fer problems, especially 'tween the captain an' her crew. Talk tae me, please."

After another agonizing moment of silence, Jane sighed and gently freed her wrist. "Five minutes," she said quietly, dark eyes meeting Maura's. The captain smiled widely, once more taking Jane's arm in her grip and urging her toward the bed. They sat side by side on the edge of the mattress, Jane fidgeting and looking anywhere but the bright eyes staring holes through the side of her head.

"Jane, why did ye take such offense tae what I said?"

"You know why."

"If'n I did, dear, I wouldnae be havin' this conversation with ye." Maura stilled the anxious movement of Jane's fingers which were worrying at a loose thread at the hem of her shirt. "I asked ye tae take a more active position on the ship an' ye stormed out 'fore I could ask what was goin' on." She pulled Jane's hand into her lap and idly played with her fingers, hair sweeping out from behind her ear and hiding her face from Jane's gaze.

"Then I go tae sleep without ye beside me, an' wake alone this mornin'. Ye refuse tae meet me eyes this mornin', an' go outtae yer way tae avoid me today. The only reason I knew ye were onboard was 'cause o' Mister Frost's lesson on deck today. Sae please, enlighten me, Miss Rizzoli. Tell me what I did sae wrong that I drove ye away from me, because I assure ye, 'twas nae me intentions."

Sincere hazel eyes found Jane's and wordlessly pleaded for her to understand. Jane fought her instinct to immediately spill everything to the woman before her, warring with the want to stay angry and the childish urge to stay silent _because, dammit, she should know what she did wrong, and if she doesn't, she should figure it out on her own._ Jane sighed and looked down at her feet, still in her boots and slowly kicked out of them under Maura's hopeful eyes. She let them lay where they fell and scooted back on the bed until she could flop onto her back and stare at the wooden ceiling.

"Well? Lay down; I'd rather be comfortable for this, and my ribs ache like nobody's business." She heard Maura scramble out of her own boots and felt the bed dip beside her as the woman laid down, arms just brushing and the scent of salt and herbs wafting over the brunette. Jane folded her hands over her stomach and cautiously tipped her head to find Maura already staring at her. She felt heat race across her cheeks and cleared her throat nervously. "So, uhm…"

"Yer story, Jane. What did I do sae wrong yesterday?"

Jane sighed. "It wasn't…I only meant – the way you said it, like I was just a thing to be used."

"Oh, Jane, I didnae mean t-"

"I know, I realized that today while I was sparring with Frost, but…Maura, you have to understand, my father treated me the same way, back in Boston. He treated me like I was something to be used until he found something better, then traded away like…like nothing, no better than the goods I sold you." Jane felt tears unexpectedly well up in her eyes and chuckled wetly. "God, I sound like such a girl."

"Well…"

"I mean, like 'poor me, why am I not good enough,' yadda yadda." Jane brushed a finger beneath her eyes. "It just-"

"Made ye feel like nothin'. I am so, _so_ sorry, my dear. 'Twas nae me intentions tae make ye feel that way. I only meant – I dannae want anyone tae see ye as weak. The sailors, well behaved as they may be fer the most part, are still rather coarse men. If'n they saw ye as incapable o' defendin' yerself, they might feel inclined tae take…liberties. I dannae let others damage what is mine tae protect, Jane, I hope ye realize that." Jane blinked at the sincerity lacing Maura's voice and startled when the captain's fingers danced across her jawline. "I willnae let anyone take advantage o' ye, I promise ye that. They willnae sully ye."

Before she could stop herself, Jane blurted, "According to one of your sailors, _you're_ already sullying me, sooo…" She watched in fascination as color flooded Maura's cheeks, right to the tip of her ears and past the collar of her shirt, then felt a blush flare in her face as her words registered. "Oh God, I didn't mean to say that _at all._ "

Maura's mouth flopped open and shut uselessly for a long moment, then she began laughing, loudly, uninhibited and joyful. Jane felt her lips twitch and then was laughing alongside her until her ribs protested the action and she gasped, curling in on herself. Maura's mirth was abruptly overshadowed by her concern for the brunette and she touched Jane's shoulder. "What happened?"

"Frost and I…ahm, we might have gotten a teensy bit overzealous today." Jane gingerly poked her side and hissed in pain.

Maura sighed, rolled her eyes, and poked Jane in the same place, raising a brow when dark eyes glared up at her. "Ye shouldnae have gotten intae it with him."

"He was teaching me!"

"An' I'm sure ye did _nothin'_ tae provoke him intae a more…visceral reaction?" Jane's sheepish look said everything she didn't and Maura nodded. "Stay there an' donnae move."

As she rooted through a chest against the wall, she heard Jane muttering to herself and shifting restlessly on the bed. She victoriously pulled out a small, opaque jar and got back on the bed and began pulling at the hem of Jane's shirt. Jane immediately swatted at her hand and froze under the stern glare aimed her way. "Let me help ye."

" _You're trying to take my shirt off._ "

"Aye, sae I kin rub this," she brandished the jar, "intae yer skin. But if'n ye continue tae be obstinate, I'll simply let ye suffer." She crossed her arms and stared down Jane until the brunette huffed and reluctantly lifted the bottom of her shirt.

"That's a good lass."

Jane glared but let Maura lift her shirt further, squawking once again when she attempted to lift the cloth past her chest. "Jane, the shirt has tae come off, otherwise the ointment will rub off ontae it, an' then it will have done nae good. Ye ken?" She waited for Jane to slowly sit up and then slipped her shirt over her head, dropping it on the edge of the bed. Jane refused to look at her, arms crossed over her breasts and fingers clenched around her elbows.

"Jane."

A flush darkened her skin and Maura slid closer, gently circling Jane's wrist to coax her arm away from her body. "There's nothin' tae be ashamed of here. Ye're gorgeous, my friend." Jane glanced up shyly from beneath her eyelashes and Maura smiled reassuringly. She eased Jane's other arm away from her torso, hazel eyes flicking across her breasts briefly before she turned her eyes away.

"Ahm, yes, sooo…this jar contains camphor oil; it will take away the ache in yer ribs an' by the mornin', ye'll be right as rain. Then ye an' Mister Frost kin resume hittin' each other." Jane snorted incredulously and winced as the movement jarred her bruised sides. "Lay down, Jane. Let me help ye."

After Jane lay back on the bed, Maura scooped some of the cream on to her fingers and leaned over her, gently pressing against her ribs. Jane inhaled sharply and squirmed, eyes skittering across Maura's face.

"'Tis alright, dear, jus' relax."

She rubbed the cream into Jane's skin, thumb pressing lightly against her abdomen as her fingers brushed against the underside of her breast. Maura dragged her hand across Jane's abdomen and felt the muscles tense under the pads of her fingers. She slowly pulled away and dipped her fingers in the jar again, then applied the salve to her other side, fingers occasionally brushing against the underside of her breast as she kneaded the skin.

"Is this – is this the part where you tell me you're attracted to me?"

She met Jane's eyes, smiled coyly, and casually slid her hand up until her palm rested flat in the valley between her breasts. "Aye, it is." Jane's eyes widened dramatically and her mouth dropped open. Maura's eyebrows creased and uncertainty fluttered through her eyes, but her hand stayed where it had landed. "Is that – is that alright? I mean, I donnae know how ye feel 'bout these sort o' things, but ye keep lookin' at me like there's _somethin'_ there, an' maybe I misread the situation but I really-"

"Maura." Jane quietly overrode the captain's rambling and pinned her in place with a look. "You're rambling."

She reached up with a trembling hand to frame Maura's cheek, thumb brushing just beneath her eye. "I don't know what these feelings are," she said quietly, "and I don't know how _this_ ," gesturing between the two of them with her other hand, "would even begin to go. God knows no one back home would…well, I don't suppose it really matters, does it? It's my own life, and you…you've only made it richer since we met."

"I suppose the darin' escapes an' rescues from thugs have endeared me tae ye somewhat."

Maura smiled and Jane scoffed, tapping her cheek with two fingers. "Something like that. Seriously though, I think – I think I want to see where this goes. You didn't misread anything, even if I wasn't really consciously doing anything." Jane smiled ruefully and inhaled.

Maura watched her hand gently rise and fall and the way Jane's breasts moved with the motion. "Uhm…" Maura rapidly removed her hand, tucking it under her leg securely. "I'm sorry, dear, I didnae mean tae-"

"It's fine, it felt – nice." Jane's cheeks were flushed but she met Maura's eyes squarely and smiled a bit. Maura's confidence came roaring back with a vengeance, leading in with a sultry smile and her fingers tripping up the length of Jane's stomach toward her sternum. Jane inhaled sharply but otherwise lay still, watching the captain from beneath her lashes.

"Is this alright?"

"Hmm, yeah." Jane squirmed as Maura's fingers skittered off course and mapped the ladder of her ribs, teasing at the underside of her breast again. A smile slowly spread across her lips when Maura's palm again stopped between her breasts, fingers kneading gently at the skin.

"May I kiss ye, Jane?"

Jane's eyes sought out Maura's, holding her gaze for a long moment before she nodded. Maura smiled widely as she slowly leaned in, the ends of her hair brushing across Jane's breasts and tickling as she moved, and then warm breath was puffing against her lips and all she could see was hazel. "Wha-"

"Ye're sae beautiful."

Before Jane could respond, Maura closed the distance between them and pressed her slightly chapped lips against Jane's. The scent of salt and herbs invaded Jane's nose, her eyes fell shut, and she slid her arms around Maura's shoulders to keep her close as Maura tilted her head to get closer. Feeling bold, Jane nipped at Maura's lower lip and nearly shot off the bed in shock when she heard the captain moan above her. Her eyes shot open just as Maura twisted fingers through her tangled curls and invaded her mouth with her tongue, coaxing her own out and gently taking her lower lip in her teeth as she pulled away. Jane whined as she tried to follow Maura up but the hand on her chest prevented her from closing the distance and Maura sat back, cheeks flushed and breathing a little heavy.

"Wow."

"I thought that was supposed to be my line," Jane said breathlessly. Maura giggled as she leaned back but found her retreat arrested when Jane wrapped her arms around her shoulders and tugged her back down. "Lay with me."

"Jane, I have tae-"

"Sleep, the crew and ship will still be here in the morning. You already got your boots off, just relax."

Long fingers rubbed between Maura's shoulder blades and coaxed her onto her side, head on Jane's shoulder and a hand thrown over her waist. Maura sighed contently and shifted a little closer, burying her nose against Jane's neck. "Ye're sae warm."

"The curse of being an Italian," Jane snorted. Her hand lazily played with Maura's hair as she blindly searched for the blanket to cover them with.

As they lay quietly in the dim lighting of the guttering lamp, Maura gently rolled to meet Jane's eyes. "Are ye certain about this?"

"No, I'm not. But I want to do it anyway. You…intrigue me, Maura." Jane offered a smile and brushed her knuckles along Maura's cheek, sighing as she leaned in and kissed her again. "And I _really_ like kissing you."

"An' I, you. Go tae sleep, Jane, we've a long day ahead o' us." They burrowed under the blanket together and fell asleep to the rocking of the ship and the warmth the other brought, hands searching each other out as they shifted closer in their sleep.

* * *

I just can't leave Jane and Maura in all that uncertainty. This is the only ship I write for that I can't do angst (like, at fucking all), simply because they are so damn good together and they (almost) always work their shit out in little to no time.


	14. Any Port in a Storm

Leave me some extra love tonight, guys, it's my birthday! I may technically be an adult (I have several jobs and everything else to prove it!), but I still like getting gifts! And you all would seriously make my night if you left me some reviews! Okay, okay...a cookie? I'll share my cake with you~ *grins bashfully* Alright, shameless pandering over, here ya go! Special since it's my birthday!

Read on!

* * *

 _Long fingers rubbed between Maura's shoulder blades and coaxed her onto her side, head on Jane's shoulder and a hand thrown over her waist. Maura sighed contently and shifted a little closer, burying her nose against Jane's neck. "Ye're sae warm."_

 _"The curse of being an Italian," Jane snorted. Her hand lazily played with Maura's hair as she blindly searched for the blanket to cover them with._

 _As they lay quietly in the dim lighting of the guttering lamp, Maura gently rolled to meet Jane's eyes. "Are ye certain about this?"_

 _"No, I'm not. But I want to do it anyway. You…intrigue me, Maura." Jane offered a smile and brushed her knuckles along Maura's cheek, sighing as she leaned in and kissed her again. "And I really like kissing you."_

 _"An' I, you. Go tae sleep, Jane, we've a long day ahead o' us." They burrowed under the blanket together and fell asleep to the rocking of the ship and the warmth the other brought, hands searching each other out as they shifted closer in their sleep._

* * *

Jane jerked awake to darkness interspersed with frequent flashes of lightning and felt disoriented as the ship pitched from side to side on violent waves. She braced herself in the bed as a particularly sharp motion nearly sent her sprawling out of the bed and felt warmth press up against her side. Maura blinked blearily and pushed onto her elbow, yelping as the ship rolled violently again and she pitched over Jane's body, barely caught before she hit the floor.

"What's going on?"

"Storm!" Maura leapt off the bed and staggered over to her discarded shirt, yanking it over her head as she attempted to keep her balance and shoved her feet into her boots. "C'mon, Jane, we have tae make haste!" She pulled open the cabin door and disappeared as rain and wind soaked the wooden floor before the door was pulled closed.

Jane slid from the bed and pulled her clothes on, venturing out to find the deck soaked with rain that lashed every surface and made it difficult to walk. The sails snapped and shook with every powerful gust of wind and sailors scurried up the rigging on sure feet to tie them back before they could be torn out off the masts. On the upper deck, Frost and Maura struggled to steer the ship in the raging waves, fighting the wheel to avoid being tossed about like ragdolls.

Jane staggered as a wave crashed against the side of the ship and her center of balance abruptly uprooted itself. She fell to her knees as the deck was suddenly more vertical than horizontal and scrabbled for purchase as she slid toward the railing along with several other sailors and anything that hadn't been stowed away the night before. Jane 's heartbeat roared in her ears over the sound of the thunder rolling ominously overhead and the ceaseless sound of the waves buffeting the ship as she slid inexorably toward the railing and the roiling sea on the other side. She just managed to brace her feet against the rail before another wave broke against the side of the ship and sent her sliding wildly the other way.

Jane barely managed to get her feet under herself and lunged for the center mast, clinging to it desperately as she watched a sailor pitch over the railing, his mouth wide open in a silent scream before he disappeared in the next flash of lightning. Jane stared at the spot he had been for a long moment until she realized the ship had steadied momentarily and she dashed for the stairs, hanging stubbornly to the railing as she staggered to the upper deck. Frost and Maura clung to the wheel, peering through the sheets of rain and consulting a compass every few seconds as they fought the current.

"Someone just went overboard," Jane shouted over the rain and thunder.

Maura shook her head. "We cannae help him, his fate is in the hands o' the Gods now! Get tae Mister Korsak belowdecks, help him tae lash everything in place!" Maura flung her head to displace a strand of hair that landed in front of her eye and curtly dismissed Jane.

She scurried down the stairs, gripping tightly to the railing when another wave washed over the deck and tried to sweep her away. She jumped into the hold, where any sailors not risking their safety on the masts were trying to tie down the goods below. She found Korsak struggling with several large crates that kept shifting with the pounding waves and threw her shoulder behind them, bracing her boots against the wet planks underfoot so he could pass some heavy rope around the wooden boxes and tie them to a support beam nearby.

"Thank you," he said breathlessly. Jane offered a grim smile and they tackled the next stack of crates with single minded purpose, avoiding the portholes and doors that led to the main deck which allowed torrents of water to pass through and soak them. By the time they had secured the last cannon, their clothes hung limply off their bodies and the salt burned their eyes. Korsak gestured above himself, stepping aside so Jane could climb the slick steps onto the deck. The sea still churned restlessly around them, lightning bringing into stark relief the chaotic scene before them. Crewmen had lashed themselves to any stable surface and were crouched down by walls and the masts, eyes cast toward the foreboding sky or to the upper deck where Maura and Frost continued to fight with the wheel.

"Jane, come tie yourself!" Korsak held out a length of rope that Jane briefly glanced at before darting across the deck toward the stairs. "Jane! Jane, come back!"

Korsak's voice was swept away on the wind as a wave broke over the railing and swept Jane's feet out from under her. She landed hard on her stomach, winded as she pushed herself back to her feet and felt the sting of salt on her palms where she had caught herself when she'd fallen. A flash of lightning gave her seconds' warning before the ship listed sharply to the side with the arrival of a monstrous wave and Jane's stomach dropped when gravity seemed to simply cease to exist. She felt her feet go out from under her and barely registered the sharp pain that radiated from her hip as she slid haphazardly toward the railing.

Sailors clung to their ropes desperately, feet scrambling for purchase as the deck suddenly became a sharp incline and Jane grabbed at the nearest thing to her. She swung abruptly to the side and released the hapless sailor's leg as her momentum carried her past him, crashing into the railing that led to the upper deck and groaning inaudibly as her forehead smacked against the wall that separated their cabin from the main deck. She felt warmth course down her face, quickly washed away by the rain, and lay in place until the ship returned to a more natural position on the tossing waves.

With as much speed as she could summon, Jane skipped up the stairs and set her hand on Maura's shoulder. Hazel eyes met hers, wide with fear and exhilaration, and white teeth gleamed in a feral grin that shone brightly in the lightning. "We've got her made, Jane! This storm willnae take us so easily! Look tae the east; see how the clouds lighten!" She thrust her chin in the direction she wanted Jane to look and returned to keeping the wheel on course to outrun the storm. Jane peered through the heavy sheets of rain at the horizon, feeling a daring sense of hope when her eyes caught the faint tint of grey on otherwise black skies.

The storm continued to buffet the ship with slowly decreasing vigor until only the occasional high wave rocked them. The rain fell on them under grayscale skies and the sailors slowly rose, untying themselves and looking to Maura for direction.

"Well, 'twas more action this night than I reckon any o' us have had in a long while," she said breathlessly, prompting a gale of relieved and slightly hysterical laughter from the crew. She swept her waterlogged hair out of her face as she stared over the deck at the horizon, barely discernible as the clouds faded into the water seamlessly. "Get ye back tae bed, lads. I think we've all earned a couple hours o' rack time fer this night's work. Mister Frost; is everyone accounted fer?"

"All but two, ma'am. A couple rope rats went over in the midst of the storm, but otherwise we are all in, more or less, one piece."

"Good tae hear." There was a hint of regret in Maura's voice, washed out by the relief and exhilaration still coursing through her. "Alright, if'n ye were belowdecks ye may stay up here, everyone else may leave." The majority of the sailors left the deck for their racks and Maura regarded the dozen men left standing before her. "Ye'll split in two fer the next several hours, ye ken? Figure out 'mongst yerselves how ye want tae divvy up the tasks an' keep her on course, swap out every hour 'til Mister Frost or meself are on deck. Understood?"

"Aye, cap'n!" They nodded and circled, leaving Frost, Maura and Jane on the upper deck.

The captain regarded Frost for a moment and smiled wearily. "Nice sailin'. Get tae yer bed, Mister Frost, ye look fit tae collapse."

"I will as soon as you and Miss Rizzoli have been taken care of. It looks as though she was injured at some point."

Jane crinkled her brow in confusion, then felt warmth course down the side of her face and a dull pain blossomed over her brow. Maura's eyes widened and she took Jane's arm in her grasp, leading her down the stairs. "Jane, ye're bleedin'! We have tae get ye tae Mister Korsak!"

Jane fended off her concerned touch with a tired wave of her hand. "It's not that bad, I'm fine."

"Ye are _nae_ fine! It's still bleedin'!"

"Maur, c'mon, I just want to get some shut eye before we have to get up again. Please?" Jane widened her eyes and silently beseeched Maura to cave, lips turning up as the captain wavered after several seconds of strong eye contact.

"Fine. Ye dannae need tae go see Mister Korsak. But," she held up her hand when Jane groaned and Frost snickered off to the side, "ye will let me take a look-see at it 'fore we retire."

"Fiiiiine." Jane sighed dramatically and threw a parting glance at Frost as she walked down the stairs.

"So," he said conversationally, leaning on the wheel at his back, "should I expect you two to take your time appearing later today?"

Maura scowled and shoved his shoulder. "Ye're a pig, _Barold._ "

"Oooh, the first name makes its appearance; that's my cue to disappear." Frost chuckled and ducked Maura's open palm easily, sliding down the wet railing with practiced ease and saying, "Remember to lock your door!" Maura shook her head, carding her fingers through her tangled hair and reminding one of the crewmen to keep them on course before leaving the upper deck.

She shut the door of their cabin behind her and, after a moment's hesitation, turned the key to lock it and hung the key on a hook beneath the lamp by the door. Jane was stripping out of her soaked clothes, leaving them where they fell with wet squelches. As she dug through one of the recessed drawers on the wall, Maura gratefully took off her shirt, laying it over the back of the chair by Jane's desk. Her eyes fell on Jane's bare back and she inhaled sharply, striding over to the brunette and laying her hand on her waist. Jane froze as she felt cold fingers on her skin and looked over her shoulder.

"What are you doing?"

"Ye're hurt." There were traces of guilt in Maura's voice as the pads of her fingers continued circling a spot just above her hip where a bevy of bruises and scrapes were appearing in vivid color. "How did ye?..."

"Sometime during the storm…I fell into the side of the railing when a wave washed across the deck."

Maura inhaled sharply and turned Jane's head to meet her gaze. "Ye were walking on deck durin' the storm?!"

"Yes?"

" _Why?_ "

Jane blinked as Maura's tone crossed over from concern to irritation and her short nails dug into her jawline. "Because I was trying to get to you?"

"What on _earth_ would possess ye tae do somethin' sae foolhardy!?" Maura scowled as she pinched Jane's hip and then tutted when she yelped. "That's what ye get fer being a stubborn fool. Now, go sit down on the bed." She gently pushed Jane toward the rumpled mattress as she walked to the trunk on the wall and rummaged through it. Jane bounced on the bed as she sat down heavily and fell onto her back with a huff.

"Now, now, nae need tae be childish."

"I'm _not._ "

"Oh?" Maura's voice sounded distinctly amused, and Jane lifted her head to affirm that there was a gleeful smile on her lips as she perched her hip on the edge of the bed. "Yer face says otherwise, Jane; keep scowlin' like that an' it'll get stuck that way."

Jane stuck her tongue out petulantly and froze as Maura ducked to catch her tongue between her teeth, a bare instant of pressure warmth electricity jolting through her body before the captain had retreated behind dancing hazel eyes and an enigmatic smile.

"Now, let's see tae those wounds o' yers, aye?"

Jane stared blankly as Maura pulled out some bandages and several small jars that smelled strongly of mint and antiseptic, laying them beside her on the covers. She leaned over Jane's head to dab at the slowly bleeding cut on her temple, muttering lowly to herself as she worked over the brunette. By the time Jane found her voice, Maura had already put a coat of the ointment on the cut and was holding her hand between hers. "You – you just-" She made a strangled sound in her throat and drew Maura's gaze up to her face.

"Jane?"

"You just! – with your teeth, and – and I!-"

Maura canted her head to the side, hair falling over her shoulder as she stared quizzically down at Jane. "Yes? I thought it would help," she said slowly, thumb brushing absent circles on Jane's palm, "was I wrong?"

"I don't – it was – _gaaaah._ " Jane squeezed her eyes shut and listened to Maura's quiet laughter, feeling it ghost over her skin.

"Use yer words, Jane. Take letters an' make words that form coherent an' full sentences." Jane blindly stuck her tongue out again and, a moment later, felt Maura's mouth cover hers and swallow her surprised sound. She exhaled heavily when she felt teeth gently nibble on her lower lip and tried to follow Maura up when she pulled away, huffing as the captain kept a solid hand planted on her sternum. "Now just lay there like a good lass fer me; kin ye do that much?"

"If you keep doing that, I can't promise _anything,_ " Jane muttered.

Maura smirked as she returned her attention to the shallow scrapes on Jane's palms, cleaning them out with a damp cloth and dressing them with a few long pieces of bandaging that she tucked in to protect the raw skin. "Ye're sae damn accident prone. Kin ye go one week without me havin' tae fix ye somehow?"

"Maybe I do it on purpose." Jane met Maura's eyes in the dim light that filtered through the cabin and blushed as she felt her gaze travel past her chin chest, stomach and come to rest at a point somewhere below her navel. "'Twould make a lot o' sense, actually. An' maybe I like takin' care o' ye. Cleanin' yer scrapes an' tendin' tae yer wounds…keepin' ye close tae me."

"A regular doctor, aren't you," Jane jested quietly. She smiled up at Maura and turned onto her side when the captain asked, plucking at a corner of the rumpled sheets. "Why don't you do something like that? You clearly know what you're doing; look at what you've done for me already, and I've only been on ship for a couple weeks." She felt Maura's hands pause briefly against her skin, then continue pressing and poking at the bruises experimentally.

"I had…many opportunities tae do what I wanted tae, but…circumstances forced me hand." Jane opened her mouth to ask Maura to keep going but felt her now warm palm cup her waist and squeeze it. "Questions fer another time. I'll tell ye, but not tonight, please."

Jane nodded silently against the covers and let Maura play doctor to her until the last of the scrapes on her skin were dressed. She scooted up toward the head of the bed and felt Maura lay down behind her, her still cool skin divested of her wet clothes and pressing up tightly to her back. Jane blindly reached behind her for Maura's hand, bringing it over her waist and up between her breasts. She twined their fingers together as she felt Maura mold her body more tightly against hers, knees fitting behind the bend of Jane's and hips nestled against the curve of her butt. Maura pressed her nose against Jane' neck and the brunette felt her nipples against her shoulder blades as she breathed deeply and relaxed into the mattress.

"How dae ye feel?"

"Warm. Are you alright?"

"I'm fine, dear; I'm nae the one who was thrown around the deck like a ragdoll." Maura pressed her lips to Jane's shoulder and tightened her grip around her waist, fingers lacing more tightly through Jane's. "Just a wee nippy, 'tis all. Nothin' serious."

Jane hummed as she felt for the blankets and dragged them over their shoulders, somehow shuffling closer to Maura and sighing contently as their combined heat worked against the cold still lingering in their limbs. As she felt sleep creeping up on her, Jane murmured, "I'm glad it's you, Maur."

"Hmmm?"

"Who found me…I'm glad it was you."

Maura pressed fervent kisses to her shoulder and neck, nosing against the back of her ear as she tangled their legs together and they quickly fell asleep, lulled by the heat between them and the now gentle rocking of the ship.

* * *

Can I just say...I seriously hate the word 'butt.' It sounds so damn...juvenile. But (heh, word use is punny), this situation doesn't call for more explicit terms for one's _posterior, derriere, rear, tush,_ so 'butt' is what you get! Maybe you guys have alternative words for one's hind end that you could shove my way?

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ME!


	15. We Gather Strength

I'm horrid, I know. I tried and tried to get this out, but work got in the way, and then Life, and then when I had a moment, my muse decided to go on vacation and leave me with _the wrong gods be damned plot bunnies..._ Ahem. Anyway, here you go, and to make up for my awful updating, you get a double dose! Also, we're nearing the end of this adventure, so expect only two-ish more chapters.

SyriusDark: Thank you for the birthday wishes!

 **Also, _rehellams_ , you get the cookie for today for the best euphemism for 'butt,' with 'spank land' and 'buttercup.' I've never heard someone call another person's butt buttercup! Although, _killie 64,_ you get kudos for an awesome movie reference from 'My Fair Lady!'**

Read on!

* * *

 _Jane hummed as she felt for the blankets and dragged them over their shoulders, somehow shuffling closer to Maura and sighing contently as their combined heat worked against the cold still lingering in their limbs. As she felt sleep creeping up on her, Jane murmured, "I'm glad it's you, Maur."_

 _"Hmmm?"_

 _"Who found me…I'm glad it was you."_

 _Maura pressed fervent kisses to her shoulder and neck, nosing against the back of her ear as she tangled their legs together and they quickly fell asleep, lulled by the heat between them and the now gentle rocking of the ship._

* * *

"You're getting much better. Keep your guard up!" Frost lunged at Jane and she knocked the heavy practice blade aside before swiping at him. She grinned toothily as he backpedaled and pressed her advantage, keeping him on the back of his feet.

"Well, I had to get better at _some_ point, you know. I'm still irritated that it took me more than a week to get this far." Frost ducked under her slash at his chest and rushed her, bearing her down to the wooden deck and smiling as the air rushed from her lungs. He grinned smugly as Jane wriggled under his weight and scowled impotently. "Get off me, you bratty ox."

"Oh, bringing out the name calling? You must be desperate." Jane growled as Frost settled more comfortably over her hips and easily deflected her half hearted swats at his arms and face.

"I'd get offa her if'n ye dannae want tae end up on yer arse, Mister Frost."

"What are you talking about, Captain, I've got her exa-" Frost's breath left him rapidly when Jane's knees hit his back and he suddenly found his face pressed against the deck with her sitting atop him, arms wrested behind his back and a bony knee digging uncomfortably into his thigh.

"Ye were sayin', Mister Frost?"

Maura's boots appeared in his field of vision and he looked up as far as he could with a wry smile on his face. "Guess she wasn't where I wanted her after all."

"Damn right." Jane patted the top of his head and got off him, letting him get to his feet as she picked up the discarded practice weapons. He took his when she offered it to him and they squared off again.

"Now, what did I tell you about swordplay the first day?"

"If they're a guy, kick them where it counts?"

Frost laughed and swatted aside her first lazy swipe. "Well, if the opportunity arises, sure, but also…" He feinted to Jane's side and scored a hit on her unprotected leg, smiling innocently at her pout. "Take any opportunity for the upper hand you can. Honor only counts in duels, not battles."

Jane nodded as she rubbed her leg and blocked his next strike, turning it aside and using the moment to score a hit on his ribs. "I think I got it."

"Yeah, I'd say so."

He clutched the spot and Maura spoke up before he could move in to engage her again. "Much as I like tae see Mister Frost get a lesson in humility, I dae want tae speak with ye both." They followed her onto the upper deck and Maura took over the wheel from a sailor. "I'm sure ye're aware by now, but we have tae take a prize soon. The men are getting' restless, an' I dannae know 'bout ye two, but I like me ship the way it is, sans irate crew." Frost nodded solemnly and Jane's lips turned down slightly.

"Now, we're still two weeks out from land if'n we keep on as we have been, sae that gives up plenty o' time tae find one, but I wanted ye both aware 'fore I told the men what's comin'." Her hazel eyes were steady on Jane as she spoke, studying her expression carefully and gauging her reaction. Jane's eyes flickered, hesitancy mulishness determination ghosting through her gaze within moments. Her grip on her sword tightened and she straightened slightly. "There's a good tailwind followin' us, we're on the edge of a major tradin' lane, an' there dannae seem tae be anymore storms on the horizon. We should come across a ship anytime now."

"Do you want me to inform the men we're going to be on the lookout for a prize?"

"Please, Mister Frost." He set his sword aside and walked down the stairs onto the main deck and began bellowing for everyone to gather around as Maura stepped closer to Jane. Her hand lightly pressed against Jane's forearm, thumb rubbing circles against her skin while her eyes searched Jane's. "Please, dear, tell me what ye think?"

"It doesn't really matter, does it? You'd still have to…take a prize," she said lowly, slowly, tasting the phrase on her tongue and apparently unable to form a solid feeling about it if the indecisive expression on her face was any indicator.

"Aye, we would. But I wouldnae force ye tae go with us if'n ye were nae willin' tae. I willnae take that decision away from ye."

"I know, I know that…but, I think," Jane looked down at the practice blade still in her grasp and frowned contemplatively, "I think I have to do it. If I don't, I'll keep running from that…aspect of piracy. I don't…" She looked into Maura's eyes with determination flickering through her gaze and stepped closer to the captain, twining her free hand with Maura's and squeezing lightly. "I don't want to walk away from you; I'd rather learn about something I'm not entirely sold on yet than throw _this_ away without trying it first." She held their tangled fingers up and kissed Maura's knuckles, smiling roguishly. "Besides, maybe I'll captain my own ship someday and be a pirate with you."

Maura's lips twisted happily and she folded Jane into a hug. "I'd love nothin' more, dearest." She pressed her lips to Jane's jawline and stepped back with a twinkle in her eyes. "But before that, ye have tae learn the ropes o' sailin'."

"I know how to sail!"

"Oh?"

"Yeah, you just…steer, and…yell…" Jane waved helplessly at the lines dangling around the rigging and Maura giggled.

"Well, 'tis a _wee_ bit more complicated than that, but I suppose ye have the gist o' it. I'll have one o' my men help ye tae learn more, aye?"

"Aye," Jane retorted playfully, saluting smartly and dancing away from Maura's playful swat.

"Get ye gone, ye rogue, I have some _captainin'_ tae do. I'll send one o' the boys tae ye soon."

She waved Jane off and returned to her maps, laid out on the table nearby, and Jane idled away a handful of minutes at the bow of the ship until a skinny man in ragged pants and a sleeveless shirt that had seen better days walked up to her. He smiled with tobacco stained teeth and scratched at his chest. "Evret. Cap'n says ya want ta learn proper sailin'?" Jane nodded and he motioned her to follow him to the railing. "First things first then," he gestured grandly at the knots decorating the many hooks and knobs built into the sail. "Knots."

"Knots?"

"Aye, knots. Ya tie 'em, ya untie 'em, ya loosen 'em, ya-"

"I think I get it. What am I doing with them?"

"Well, you ain't gonna do much with soft fingers like those."

He nodded at Jane's hands and she scoffed. "My hands are _not_ soft."

"So ya say, girl, but wait 'til yer done with me." He smiled again and dragged an empty bucket over for her to sit on, then showed her each different set of knots that were used for the rigging and masts. As he showed her, she would slowly copy his efficient, automatic movements and would repeat back the sort of knot and uses of it to him. By the end of four hours, her back ached from hunching over her section of rope, her head throbbed with a tension headache, and her fingers were raw and broken open from tying and untying endless knots. She grunted at Evret and retreated to the safety of their cabin, leaning against the door with a heartfelt sigh as the noise of the overnight crew was muffled behind the sturdy wood.

"Long day, Jane?" She peered through one slitted eye at Maura, who was lounging in her chair at the desk under the window and tugging at her boots.

"Like you don't know. I saw you laughing at me." Jane pouted as she staggered over to Maura and draped her long frame over her shoulders and back heavily. "I'm so sore, I think my blisters have blisters. I don't know if I can face him again tomorrow, the bone just might come through my skin." She showed her abused fingers to Maura and jumped when the captain took her hand and began laying kisses along the knuckles, lingering on any raw areas and the myriad blisters that lined her fingertips and the creases of her joints.

"They'll heal, an' ye'll be out there tomorrow bright an' early. I know ye, sweet girl, an' you'd never let a few blisters get the best o' ye."

Jane smiled against Maura's hair, enjoying the sensation of lips against sensitive skin, then froze. "You…"

"Hmmm?"

"You called me sweet girl."

Maura paused mid-way through a line of kisses along Jane's wrist and tilted her head to the side. "I suppose I did," she said thoughtfully, absently rubbing her thumb along the underside of Jane's wrist. "I didnae give it any thought; my apologi-"

"It's fine, I…I kind of liked it." Jane interrupted and circled the chair to lean over and brush her thumb over Maura's cheek. "Never thought I would, I always hated whenever customers at the shop would call me pet names…but I don't mind it with you, truly. Even if it seems an ill fit for me," she joked quietly.

Maura smiled up at her and gently pulled her closer with a hand around the back of her neck. "Good. I'll have tae keep it in mind." She yanked Jane in for a long, hard kiss and pushed her away before they could get too carried away, striding with long, lazy steps toward the bed and unlacing her pants along the way. "I dannae suppose ye want tae join me? I kin always entertain meself, but this bed is so big," she said with a coy look over her shoulder, dropping her pants at the edge of the bed.

She perched herself daintily on the mattress and splayed her palm over the blankets, legs crossed demurely as a devilish smile played across her lips and she turned dark eyes on Jane. "Whatever will I do with so much bed, all tae meself? An' with such a long, dark night ahead o' me…"

Jane crossed the room in a few long strides and knelt over Maura's lap, fingers tangling in her hair as she pulled her in for a heated kiss. "You…you are evil, woman." They rested their foreheads together and breathed the same air, Jane's hands curling around Maura's jaw by her ears as the captain traced circles and random patterns on her legs.

"An' _you_ are wearin' too much."

Jane felt anticipation and anxiety slide down her spine as Maura's fingers slowly unlaced her pants and dipped beneath the edge of the fabric to tease at her skin. She played with the little hairs curling wildly behind her ears as Maura eased her pants down her thighs as far as they would go, fingers dancing on her bare skin and stroking gently. She shivered as Maura's fingers dared to flit further up her legs and leaned down to capture her lips again.

"Mmm, Jane…yer shakin'. What's wrong?" Maura pulled back with concern bright in her eyes, palms splayed over Jane's thighs and kneading the skin soothingly.

Jane wouldn't quite meet her eyes, her gaze trained just over her shoulder and her breaths coming a little too fast to be natural. "Nothing," she said softly and tried to kiss her again.

Maura rested one hand flat against her chest to keep her at bay and stared seriously up at the brunette. "Jane."

"I'm _fine,_ " she insisted, laying her hand over Maura's on her chest and tangling their fingers together. "Really."

"Why dae I not believe ye?" Maura narrowed her eyes and tightened her hold on Jane's thigh when she shifted to get off her lap. "Talk tae me, sweet girl. What's goin' on in that head o' yers?"

Jane glanced at her and laughed quietly to herself, self-flagellating and a little bitter. "You don't want to hear about that."

"Aye, I do. Please?" Maura flexed her fingers on Jane's leg again and leaned in to buss a kiss on her shoulder where her shirt had slipped. "It's okay tae be scared, Jane." She felt the woman in her lap deflate, curling into her to hide her face against her neck and breathe in her scent. She muttered inaudibly into her skin, nuzzling up under her jaw to lay gentle kisses against the column of her neck. "I cannae understand ye when ye mutter, dear."

"I don't mutter," she said, leaning back with a perturbed expression on her face.

"Aye, ye do, but I still like ye in spite o' it. What's the matter?"

"I just…I don't know…" Jane's face grew steadily darker and Maura's eyes danced with humor as she fought to keep her lips from smiling. Jane flushed scarlet under her teasing gaze and turned her head down. "You know!" She squeaked.

"Aye, I do, but I wan'tae hear ye say it."

"Maaauuur…"

Maura grinned widely and bumped her nose against Jane's. "C'mon, just a few simple words, 'tis all they are. They dannae bite." Maura nipped the tip of her nose and laughed throatily when Jane yelped and reared back.

Playful fire flared in her eyes and her fingers danced along Maura's ribs until she was laughing and flopping back onto the bed in a futile attempt to escape. Jane ran her fingers up and down her sides until Maura bucked and twisted to the side, throwing Jane off and taking the moment of surprise to plant herself atop her waist. "That's…that's better." Her face was red, eyes dancing with mirth, and her breathing stilted as she pinned Jane's hands by her head to keep her fingers from wandering. "I like it better on top, fer future information." Jane arched her back and flexed her fingers as Maura leaned over, her hair curtaining around them.

"Jane?"

"Yeah?"

"Kin I kiss ye?"

"Yes."

The kiss was soft, barely there contact that flitted away as soon as Jane tried to deepen it. Maura shifted so her hips were cradled against Jane's pelvis and her lips peppered along her jaw throat clavicle, tongue dancing in the groove between her collarbones as a hand encouraged Jane to lift her legs around her hips. The captain played with the laces of Jane's shirt as she continued to nip at her skin and smiled as Jane's breath came fast and uneven, fingers kneading through her hair and down her back to scratch lightly at the small of her back where her shirt had ridden up.

"Maur, I – ah, want-"

"What dae ye want?"

"You." Jane dragged Maura up for a deep kiss and her toes played along the back of Maura's calf restlessly.

"That's all ye had tae say, sweet girl. Now, let's get ye outtae this shirt." She ran her fingers just under the hem of Jane's half unlaced shirt with a hungry grin, eyes darkening as Jane sat up and removed it without prompt and then attacked her bared skin.

* * *

Jane woke with a groan and blindly searched for the blankets that had been covering her to ward off the nip in the pre-morning air, curling into a ball to preserve her body heat. When she came up empty handed, she grudgingly opened her eyes and peered into the grey gloom. Murky light shone through the window over her desk, coloring everything in sepia tones that coaxed her into lassitude. Her shirt lay abandoned by the bed where it had landed after she tore it off the night before and she colored as she recalled the time spent the night before learning each other, how they had laughed and poked fun between rounds of sex.

She slowly turned over and rolled her eyes as she saw how Maura had curled onto one side, blankets twisted around her body until she looked like a roll with a mop of tangled, burnished gold hair spilling from the top. Soft snores barely escaped through the blanket and the walls of it moved with each even breath. Jane scooted closer and buried her nose against the small strip of skin visible above the line of the blanket, throwing her arm over the formless roll as a sleepy grin overtook her features and she fell into a light doze.

She felt Maura stir as true morning rose and soft golden light spilled through the windows, stretching lazily on the bed as Maura sat up on her elbow. The blankets fell off her shoulders and revealed an enticing amount of bare skin that Jane traced with her eyes, latching onto the slowly fading marks that dotted her skin. She leaned in, tightening her hold around her waist as she pressed lips tongue teeth against the reminders of the previous night and coaxed her to lay back again, pressing neatly against her back so her hand could wander from hip to breast unhindered.

"Jane, I have tae get up. The ship-"

"Will still be here. Lay with me." She gently repeated the words when Maura seemed less than inclined to stay put, exerting a little more pressure with her hand until she felt the woman under her hands melt back against her chest. She grinned around the skin in her mouth and nipped more firmly, feeling the quiet groan that Maura muffled vibrate against her palm splayed across her stomach. "Can you just-"

"Nay, I cannae. I am the captain o' this ship, an' I have a duty tae captain her." Maura turned over and leaned in to brush their lips together and Jane tangled her fingers in her hair, pulling her closer when she tried to retreat and coaxing her mouth open with small bites and teasing nips. Maura threw her leg over Jane's hip and they melded together from thigh to breasts, teasing and playfully fighting as Jane's fingers combed distractedly through Maura's hair.

She pulled back and laid her forehead against Maura's, noses brushing gently and warm breath ghosting across her chin. Eyes shut, Jane felt every small movement the captain made, toes flexing against her calf and stomach pressing against her with every exhale, fingers dancing idly across her shoulder blade as her eyelashes fluttered and tickled her cheek. "I don't want you to go."

"I know. But ye have tae get up too, remember? Mister Frost said he would be workin' on yer swordplay if'n it killed him, which I just think it may." Jane jerked back, affronted, and watched Maura's hazel eyes dance with mirth as she took the opportunity to slip out of the brunette's grasp. Her hips swayed enticingly as she walked gracefully across the cabin to pick up her discarded pants and laced them slowly, consciously keeping her bare torso facing Jane and glancing up under her lashes to watch the brunette's eyes rove hungrily and still somewhat bashfully across the exposed skin. "Ye kin look freely, sweet girl, I dannae bite. Well, 'less ye ask me tae, o' course. But ye know that now."

She winked as Jane flushed and bent to pick up her shirt, buttoning it as she hummed tunelessly. Her hair tumbled freely over her shoulders in tousled disarray that shone a dozen shades of blonde and red in the morning sunlight and she watched in appreciation as Jane lackadaisically rose and stretched, groaning happily as her muscles flexed and warmed up. She grabbed her clothes and hopped awkwardly around as she tried to pull her pants up without sitting and Maura laughed. "Ye know, it works better if'n ye sit tae pull them up yer legs."

"So says you." Jane stuck her tongue out and Maura darted in for a final, hard kiss, then danced out of reach and was out the door before she could do anything more than stare, shirt limply grasped in her fingers as her lips continued to tingle.


	16. Don't Give Up the Ship

I feel like there's something I'm forgetting to tell you about this chapter...oh yeah! There might, _might,_ be some _slight_ violence in this chapter...I make no promises.

* * *

 _"Ye kin look freely, sweet girl, I dannae bite. Well, 'less ye ask me tae, o' course. But ye know that now."_

 _She winked as Jane flushed and bent to pick up her shirt, buttoning it as she hummed tunelessly. Her hair tumbled freely over her shoulders in tousled disarray that shone a dozen shades of blonde and red in the morning sunlight and she watched in appreciation as Jane lackadaisically rose and stretched, groaning happily as her muscles flexed and warmed up. She grabbed her clothes and hopped awkwardly around as she tried to pull her pants up without sitting and Maura laughed. "Ye know, it works better if'n ye sit tae pull them up yer legs."_

 _"So says you." Jane stuck her tongue out and Maura darted in for a final, hard kiss, then danced out of reach and was out the door before she could do anything more than stare, shirt limply grasped in her fingers as her lips continued to tingle._

* * *

Jane victoriously held up her length of rope and Evret nodded in approval. "Good, good, lass, ya learn quick."

Jane smiled as she worked on another knot without looking at her hands, keeping up easy conversation with the sailor. "It gets easier every time."

"That's good, girl. Shows ya kin learn. Give me some terms fer places 'round the ship." Jane rattled off the vocabulary she'd been learning for the past several days and expanded on the words whenever he asked for it. "Good. I'm actually surprised," he said with an appraising look, "you're takin' ta this real fast. Someone else helpin' ya?"

Jane flushed and stared at the knot she was doing. "Maybe a little?"

"Ah." Jane's head jerked up and she caught the tail end of a knowing grin. "Our fair cap'n givin' ya tips? Showin' ya good ways ta remember yer knots?"

The blatant innuendo in his questions made Jane's face flare hotly but she bore his hoarse laughter with a pained smile and ducked her head to avoid his gaze until he left her side. She was absently retying the knot when a shadow fell over her shoulder and she looked up to find Korsak standing at her back. "Korsak, what's up?"

He looked toward the sky and shrugged, scratching at his scruff. "Well, the masts, rigging, crow's nest-" He laughed when Jane stuck her tongue out at him and held out his hand for her to take. He pulled her to her feet and she fell into step beside him.

"Where are we going?"

"I have to shore up some weak spots around the ship for later; I want your help, you're younger than me and in better shape," he said with a rueful smile, patting his gut with a jovial smile.

Jane poked at his stomach and danced back when he swatted lazily at her. "Well, I suppose I could help you today. I _was_ busy, but…"

Korsak snorted and rolled his eyes. "Thank you, oh great lady, for deigning to slum with the humble carpenter today."

She laughed brightly as they walked below decks into his workshop and grabbed their tools and pre cut boards. They spent the afternoon working around the railings and building temporary barricades near the center mast. "What are these for?"

"Well, whenever we come across a prize, we need to have cover to hide behind. Few ships go around without some sort of defenses anymore, especially with the unrest in the Colonies the past several years. It's only gotten more dangerous to travel across the sea, ferrying goods and liberating people slavers have kidnapped from their villages, and I figure the best offense is a good defense." He shrugged as he held a board in place for Jane to nail against a brace, rocking it once she stepped back and nodding in approval. "Good. Let's get below decks, I want to check the gun ports for weak spots before the crew slide the cannons through them later on."

As they patched rotten boards around the gun ports, Jane asked questions about the half score of cannons that were chained in place near the middle of the hold, all with a clear line of sight to their ports. Korsak told her as much as he could about their functions and the various pieces that made them up, including how they were loaded and fired. "I don't know as much as the men who crew them, of course, but I know that each cannon needs at least three men manning them to be fired as efficiently as possible, so it's all hands on deck when we're in the middle of a battle. About half the crew stays down here, working the cannons until we've closed with the ship and it becomes too dangerous to fire, and then most of them go above decks to fight and we leave a few to protect the cannons."

"Jane?" Jane wiped her brow and turned toward the voice, finding Maura standing in the stairwell with a cryptic smile on her lips. "I'm sorry tae intrude, Mister Korsak, but could I steal her from ye?"

"Of course, captain, we were nearly done anyway. I can finish these last couple repairs myself, I was just enjoying being able to sit on my backside and give orders for a change." He laughed and Maura shook her head as the smile continued to play on her lips.

Jane set her tools down and followed Maura into the open air and cocked her head when she was led into their cabin. "Maur?"

"I just – I wanted tae have some time tae ye fer meself 'fore we…"

"Did someone see something?"

"Aye. The man up in the crow's nest spotted a ship just south an' east o' us. It's still too far tae tell its flag, but we're headin' that way now." Maura stepped in to run her hands along Jane's arms from shoulder to wrist and back. "If the wind stays favorable, we should close with them by mid-afternoon. Are you ready tae fight with us, or will ye stay elsewhere?"

"I told you last night, I won't sit this out just because I'm uncertain about it. I want to learn more about your life," she said emphatically. "If this is what it takes, then I'll do it."

"Okay, sweet girl. That's yer choice, but I wanted tae be certain. Ye cannae back out in the middle of battle."

Maura offered a wan smile and Jane reflected it for a moment as she closed the small distance between them. "I'll be by your side the whole time. I'll even let you protect me and play the damsel in distress if that makes you feel better," she joked.

Maura wrapped her arms around her waist and tucked her head under her chin, nuzzling in close and relaxing when Jane started to rub circles on her back and kissed her temple. "I'd be more concerned if'n ye suddenly were unable tae do more than whine and simper and flail uselessly, sweet girl."

She felt Jane snort and a laugh rumbled against her lips as she pressed them to her neck. "We'll be fine, I'll be right beside you and we'll protect each other's backs."

* * *

"What's the word?" Maura shouted up to the man in the crow's nest.

He peered through his spyglass at the ship bobbing in the distance and yelled back, "Brit flag, looks like a cargo ship, ma'am! Colors flyin' high!"

Maura's smile turned slightly feral and she turned sharply on her heel to address the men gathered around her on the main deck. "So, we've our prize! Ye know what a Brit flag means, aye?" There was a rousing cheer from the assembled men and Jane, standing to the side, felt the thrill of anticipation and nerves run through her. "Aye! We get tae have some _fun_ today, an' make off with some o' the King's gold! What dae ye say, boys? Kin we take her?"

They cheered and roared in approval, Maura standing before the men with her teeth bared in a smile and arms folded behind her back. "Then get tae yer stations! Cannon men below decks, gunners tae yer weapons! Boarding party, ready yer weapons an' check yer hooks! Look alive, men, we've got a prize tae take!" The crew came alive, buzzing across the deck and Jane followed them with her eyes as she stuck by Maura's side.

Maura thrust her pistols into her hands and shook her head when the brunette tried to hand them back. "Ye keep them, Jane. I've another pair in our room, in a drawer. Ye've grown used tae these beauties, ye know their weight in yer hands an' how tae handle them, I trust ye with them. I have tae get them, an' I'll grab some ammunition an' gunpowder fer us just in case, though I doubt we'll have the time tae reload. But ye kin never be too prepared. Check yer weapons, sweet girl, make sure ye kin access them easily, an' I'll be right back."

Maura disappeared into their room and Jane pulled the sword Frost had given her the day before from its place at her hip. The cutlass had a straight edge that tapered to one side near the point and a simple knuckle guard that showed its hard use in the nicks and dents in the metal. She swung it experimentally, still adjusting to the weight and balance of it, and looked up when Maura came back onto the upper deck. She caught the tossed bag of lead balls and another full of gunpowder and tied them to her belt as Maura steered closer to the British ship. Jane could make out small figures running across the deck of the other ship, pointing at them and shouting inaudibly across the water.

"How long?"

"A few minutes 'til we kin board them hopefully, but 'til then…cover yer ears, Jane. Cannons ready!"

Jane covered her ears seconds before a deafening _boom_ rocked the ship beneath her feet and cannonballs and grapeshot were spinning across the watery expanse between the ships. A few impacted against the hull of the ship and Jane felt an uneasy thrill run down her spine as pieces of wood were sent flying into the air.

"Reload, fire at will! Take out their masts; cripple them!"

The next round of cannon fire was scattered with chains attached to heavy balls and the crew cheered when one tangled in the masts of the other ship and tore through their masts. Maura kept the her ship parallel to the other as her crew continued to pelt them with grapeshot and more chained balls shredded their masts. The gunners on the railing were using their swivel cannons to great effect, spraying the other sailors with grapeshot as they got closer to the crippled cargo ship, and Jane watched as the other sailors ran to their own weapons to return fire.

"Ready yer hooks, men! We board as soon as we close with 'em!"

Jane watched some of the men begin to swing their hooks restlessly at their sides, and shifted from foot to foot as the features of the ship became clearer with every second. _Mariner's Song_ was painted on the side, missing part of the latter letters where stray grapeshot had turned the hull into shrapnel.

"Keep yer feet!"

As she spoke, the prow of her ship rammed into the side of the cargo ship and a score of hooks were thrown over to latch onto the railing and rigging. Maura grabbed Jane's hand and they ran onto the main deck, balancing quickly over a plank someone had laid between the rails of the two ships, and then they were in the middle of the fray. Jane was immediately overwhelmed by the noise and movement, but unsheathed her sword and blocked an overhead strike from some uniformed sailor with a desperate gleam in his eyes and punched him in the face with her knuckle guard, sending him reeling. She waded through the chaos toward the head of burnished gold hair and ecstatic laughter nearby, blocking strikes and ducking beneath wild swings as she used her other hand to grasp a pistol shoved in its holster at the small of her back and bring it around to whack a hapless sailor with the butt of it. She leveled it at another sailor running toward her with his ax held in a guard position and watched blood spray from his neck where her bullet tore through his arterial vein, turning her attention away as he fell to the blood and water slick deck. She put the pistol away and switched grips on the hilt of her cutlass long enough to pull her other pistol, holding it loosely in her grip as she waded closer to Maura.

She was intercepted by a guard in blazing red, the over-familiar uniform making Jane snarl as she tripped away from the business end of his musket and bayonet. She fell against two brawling sailors and grunted when a stray elbow caught her cheek and stars burst across her vision. The butt of her pistol smacked the opposing sailor – only identifiable by his comparably better quality clothes – at the nape of his neck and he collapsed immediately. The pirate nodded in thanks at her and dove back into the fight, leaving Jane to take after the British guard that was harrying her. She parried his bayonet thrust and jabbed at him with her cutlass, jumping back when his weapon swung at her again to keep her at length.

"You're just a girl," the guard said with a contemptuous sneer. Jane scoffed and sidestepped his next thrust, taking a quick step inside his guard to swing her cutlass at his chest. The honed edge of the weapon slid through the heavy wool of his overcoat effortlessly and he cursed colorfully as he wildly swung his weapon around.

Jane felt the air leave her in a rush when the barrel of the musket hit her ribs and rolled with the impact, coming up closer still to him. Breathless and pissed, she brought her pistol up and pressed the muzzle flat against his ribs. The soldier froze and his wide brown eyes locked onto hers. "Do you want to guess whether this is loaded or not?"

She watched him swallow roughly as the din of battle was suddenly split by the pealing of a bell nearby. The rhythm of the ringing brought the fighting to a standstill and an eerie silence permeated the deck of the ship. Jane looked toward the sound and saw Maura standing coolly on the upper deck with one hand on the bell and her other extended toward the captain of the cargo ship with the muzzle of her pistol just under his chin. A terrifyingly calm smile sat on her lips as her eyes skimmed the crowd beneath her, lingering briefly on Jane and the soldier frozen under her own gun.

"I have yer captain under me control, yer ship is in ruins, yer crew halved. Ye have a choice tae make now; surrender an', once we take our prize, ye get tae go on yer merry way, or we scuttle yer ship an' leave ye fer the waves. What's it goin' tae be, _captain?_ " The man held himself tall under Maura's inscrutable gaze and his lip lifted in a sneer. "Dannae go getting' any grandiose ideas, sir. This piece isn't just fer show." She tipped her pistol up to get his attention again and his gaze traveled out across the deck.

Jane relaxed marginally as she watched his shoulders drop and he slowly reached up to take his tri corner hat off his head and lay it on the spokes of the wheel they stood beside. Maura nodded and took his shoulder in her free hand, leading him down onto the main deck. "Gather those still able an' kneel 'em over here, lads! We have our prize!"

A resounding cheer went up as Maura's crew began efficiently rounding up the remaining sailors as she disappeared into the captain's quarters with him before her. Jane jabbed her pistol into the soldier's ribs and he glared at her as she shoved him toward the wall, holding her gun on him until he had knelt and she took his musket and sidearm. Maura came out long minutes later with the captain still firmly in her grasp and a small bottle of dark liquor in her hand. He was surly but cordial, standing quietly against the wall as Maura paced back and forth in front of the two crews.

"So," she began conversationally, "yer captain says ye have goods meant tae be goin' tae the bastard Redcoats in the Colonies. I'm happy tae say we'll be liberatin' those goods from ye." She gestured toward the closest grate in the floor of the main deck and half of the boarding party split away to disappear below decks. "Me men will take yer goods an' we'll be outtae yer hair within the next couple o' hours. Just sit tight an' relax, gents, the hard part is over."

Maura smiled and winked as she walked over to Jane and slung an arm around her waist easily. Jane leaned into her side but kept an eye on the soldier kneeling before her. "An' what dae we have here? A red rat tae escort ye, captain?" She didn't wait for him to answer her but crouched before the soldier with a grin belying the dark gleam in her eyes. "What's a pretty rat like you doin' escortin' a cargo ship? Did ye ignore orders?" She tapped her chin thoughtfully and the soldier fumed.

"You can't do this! We're under the protection of the king; he'll have your head, _pirate!_ " Maura's lips lifted in amusement as she took a deep swallow from the liquor bottle and she lazily swirled it around as her lips left the rim.

"Fuck the king."

The soldier surged up irately and Jane stepped in, swinging her pistol at his temple. He dropped bonelessly to the deck and the captain looked over her shoulder at Jane with a heated look in her eyes. "Good job, sweet girl." Jane flushed under Maura's appraising eye and looked away sheepishly. She reached down to pull Maura to her feet and the honey blonde kept their fingers tangled as she stood. "Stay by me," she said under her breath. Jane nodded minutely and followed Maura as she paced back in front of the sailors. "My bonnie lass here willnae put up with any funny business from ye, understand? Just stay kneelin' nice an' quiet an' we willnae have any problems."

She left Jane to keep an eye on the captured sailors along with a handful of other men and disappeared below decks. Her crew efficiently moved as much cargo to their ship as they could easily transport, grunting under the weight of the heavier crates. They left the cargo ship significantly lighter and crippled but for one mast left untouched and their carpenter alive to repair enough to limp them to shore. "We thank ye fer yer patronage, lads." Maura tipped her head at the sailors and took Jane's hand, leading her toward a wide plank spanning the ships.

Once everyone was aboard, they released the hooks holding the ships together and sailed off toward the encroaching twilight. "Good job today, lads, we got a good haul! I think this calls fer celebration!" A cheer went up from the crew and they scattered to bring up drinks and food taken from the cargo ship. A jaunty tune from a guitar drifted on the air and some of the crew started dancing, kicking their feet up as other clapped and sang raucously.

Jane stood on the upper deck with Frost, Korsak, and a handful of older sailors, watching the men below with a bemused smile. "Mister Frost, will ye be fine tae keep an eye on this unruly lot tonight?"

"Of course, captain." Frost nodded and Maura smiled at each of them in turn before reaching for Jane's hand.

"Come along, sweet girl. I think it's time fer us tae retire." Jane blushed again as she was led away under their amused eyes and the ribald laughter and joyful noise was muted as the heavy wooden doors were closed behind them.

Maura playfully pushed Jane toward a tub in the middle of the room, large enough to wash in and filled with still steaming water. The brunette looked over her shoulder at Maura and she smiled enigmatically. "A girl never kisses an' tells, sweet girl."

"Fine, I wasn't curious anyway."

"Yes ye were."

"Fine, I am. Tell me!"

Maura laughed and reached for Jane's clothes, pulling the sweaty, blood-and-gunpowder stained shirt over her head and dropping it by the wall. "Sit, I'll grab soap." Once Jane was reclined in the tub, Maura began kneading her scalp, washing the tangled curls with painstaking care. A calming quiet washed over them, broken by the occasional loud laugh outside.

"Ye did well today."

Maura squeezed her shoulder in praise and Jane melted further against the wall of the tub.

"I was terrified."

"I know. Ye were perfect, Jane." Lips brushed her temple over a bruise forming there and Maura's hands brushed across her sternum and the slope of her breasts. "Ye were so brave. I'm so proud o' ye."

Jane tilted her head back to kiss the underside of Maura's jaw, wet fingers twisting in her hair and pulling her down for a kiss. "It was easier the longer I went, but I don't like it."

"I'd be worried if'n ye did, sweet girl. Yer compassionate, an' carin', Jane; dannae ever let that go."

Jane offered a small smile and stood in the tub. Maura eyed her hungrily, pouting when Jane slapped her meandering hands away. "You're still filthy, Maur. C'mon, strip."

"Gladly." Maura let her waistcoat fall to the floor and pulled her shirt over her head as she kicked her boots and pants off and stepped daintily into the murky water. Jane toweled off herself as Maura slicked back her hair and the brunette knelt at her side with the soap in hand.

"Let me." She slowly washed Maura's hair and they talked more about the battle, Jane's fears during it and, in turn, Maura told her the way she still shook and trembled before taking a prize.

"It doesnae ever go away."

"Good," Jane said simply, covering Maura's hand on the rim of the tub with hers. "It keeps you human."

"Hmmmm."

Maura smiled up at Jane and took the offered towel when they were done, drying herself perfunctorily. She let the towel fall from her hand and stalked toward Jane, who slowly backpedaled with each slinking step the captain took. Jane quickly found herself pressed against the back wall and Maura fell upon her, hands on hips waist breasts as her mouth attached to her throat. "Ye were so damn _attractive_ , holdin' yer pistol on that soldier."

"Really, _that's_ what you found – ah!"

Jane's fingers twisted through Maura's hair as the captain shifted a hand and lifted her leg around her waist. "Hold on, sweet girl, an' dannae let go." Maura smirked toothily as her hand swept up the outside of Jane's thigh and inward, eyes glinting when Jane threw her head back and gasped, and dove in.


	17. We Shall Have Their Blessings

Hey, guys, welcome back! This is the penultimate chapter, and basically just fluff with an iota of plot thrown in for some flavor. Have a fantastic day, stay safe, and let me know your thoughts.

Lili B- I know, I'll be sad to walk away from it, but there will be more stories coming, although not all Rizzles. So happy you're enjoying this so much though.

Read on!

* * *

 _"It doesnae ever go away."_

 _"Good," Jane said simply, covering Maura's hand on the rim of the tub with hers. "It keeps you human."_

 _"Hmmmm."_

 _Maura smiled up at Jane and took the offered towel when they were done, drying herself perfunctorily. She let the towel fall from her hand and stalked toward Jane, who slowly backpedaled with each slinking step the captain took. Jane quickly found herself pressed against the back wall and Maura fell upon her, hands on hips waist breasts as her mouth attached to her throat. "Ye were so damn attractive, holdin' yer pistol on that soldier."_

 _"Really, that's what you found – ah!"_

 _Jane's fingers twisted through Maura's hair as the captain shifted a hand and lifted her leg around her waist. "Hold on, sweet girl, an' dannae let go." Maura smirked toothily as her hand swept up the outside of Jane's thigh and inward, eyes glinting when Jane threw her head back and gasped, and dove in._

* * *

"So…all of this."

"Aye."

"How do you…you know, divvy it up?" Jane scratched her head as they looked around the hold of Maura's ship. The goods they had taken from _Mariner's Song_ filled it to the brim and everything was stacked haphazardly with only a few winding paths that led to the rear of the hold. "There's so much down here."

"When we make port, I'll find an…unscrupulous merchant, an' sell it all tae them, then we split the coin from that amongst ourselves. As captain, I take the largest cut, but everythin' is more'r less evenly split otherwise." Maura looked on in approval at the filled hold as Jane tapped on her chin. "What's botherin' ye, Jane?"

"Hm? Oh, nothing, just thinking about how to catalogue this in the accounts."

"Ye planned on that?"

"Well, that way I know we're getting a fair price for everything. I mean, I watched most of it come off their ship, but I still need to get more accurate amounts of everything. This is going to take a while." Jane blew wild curls out of her face and pursed her lips. "By your leave, captain?" She asked teasingly.

Maura bowed theatrically and swept her hand out to the side. Jane walked past her and squealed when she felt Maura's hand grab her ass, whirling on her heel to watch the captain bend over in laughter. "Ye should've heard yerself!"

"Maur!"

"What! T'was funny, lass, ye have tae admit it!" Jane felt a smile threaten her lips as she watched Maura continue to laugh, wiping tears from the corner of her eyes, and escaped the hold before she could get her bearings. Maura finally caught her breath and walked onto the main deck to watch her crew scurry about, still jovial from the successful raid two days ago and the celebration that had left more than a few men holding onto the railing desperately as they emptied their stomachs. Frost caught her eye and gestured for her to come over. "Good day, Mister Frost. Did ye have somethin' tae say?"

"Aye, Captain. Good morning, by the way. With so much taken from the raid, we've lost speed, but by my calculations, we're only a week or so out from land."

"T'was my thoughts as well."

"I wanted to ask which port you wanted to put in at. I know we have to unload the goods, so anything to close to British waters isn't available, but there are a handful of others that will give us good coin for the prize we took."

Maura nodded thoughtfully as she stared out over the water. "We'll put in at Dungarvan. My father is there right now, an' I have nae seen him in…God, too long."

"I can imagine he's going out of his mind, out of his beloved Scotland," Frost teased with a grin.

Maura laughed with her head thrown back. "Aye, that he is. When last I heard outtae him, he was complainin' 'bout the weather an' the Irish in general." She rolled her eyes fondly at the memory and gestured for Frost to follow her onto the upper deck and planted her palms on the map laid out on the table. "Here, this is where we'll go." She pointed at a section of coastline in Southern Ireland. "We'll have tae take care tae avoid the Brit ships, but we should be fine otherwise."

"Aye, captain."

When Frost took the wheel to alter their course slightly, Maura walked out to the bow of her ship and stared down at the hull cutting smoothly through the water. She remained lost in thought until she felt a hand on her shoulder and looked back to find Korsak standing at her back with a genial smile and bowl of food. "You've been musing the waves for some time, captain. I figured you might be a little hungry?" He waved the bowl under her nose and Maura realized how long it had been since breakfast as her stomach grumbled plaintively.

"Thank ye, Mister Korsak."

As she took a bite of the hearty stew, Korsak continued to watch her with an appraising glint in his eyes. "You and Miss Rizzoli have gotten close on this voyage."

"Aye, we have."

"Are you sleeping together?"

Maura choked on her stew a little and glared up at Korsak, who just smiled benignly back at her. "What's yer interest in our affairs, Mister Korsak?"

"I only ask as a concerned older man; I look at you like a daughter, you know that. Jane's grown on me, I just want to see you both happy and hale. If this is hurting either of you…"

"It isn't. It's…I've nae been this happy in a long while. She makes me…"

Maura smiled to herself and Korsak's face turned affectionate. "That, right there. That's all I needed to hear." He set his hand on her shoulder and squeezed it. "Take care of each other, listen and learn from each other."

"Ye make it sound like yer dyin', Mister Korsak."

"Just the words of an old man. Humor me?"

"Always." Maura set her hand over his and smiled back at him. He walked away, leaving her with her thoughts at the front of the ship, listening to the wind in the sails and the sounds of the crew at her back, staring across the water at the horizon.

* * *

Jane sat in the cargo hold with a lantern and notebook full of her messy scrawl, finishing the last of the cataloguing from the raid. She dragged a finger down one page of the list of goods, mentally calculating the approximate price of each line and making notations beside them. She whistled to herself in amazement at the last number she came up with, then took out a percentage for Maura and divided the remainder by the number of crewmen on the ship. "Holy shit," she whispered.

She walked onto the main deck to find twilight descending over them, painting the water in shades of oranges and red. The waves rocked them gently from side to side and the smell of oil burning in the lanterns being lit around the deck wafted through the air. She spied honey-gold hair near the prow of the ship and wandered up there, settling her hip on the railing beside Maura.

"What has you thinking so hard?" She asked quietly. Maura jumped but her gaze didn't deviate from the horizon, watching the water bleed into the ocean with a contemplative glint in her eyes. "Maur? You're a million miles away; c'mon, talk to me."

"I'm sorry, sweet girl, my mind was in a different place." She smiled faintly and Jane swept a stray lock of hair from her face.

"Where?"

"Home. A tiny village in Scotland where I ran the hills when I was a babe an' learned tae live off'a the land. Where I first learned to tae fight an' tae sail on the loch the village sat on." Her gaze turned melancholy as she traced invisible lines on the wooden rail and Jane tucked her into Maura's side, wrapping an arm around her waist.

"You miss it."

"Aye. I miss the warm summers an' the snow, the way I knew every shoal an' tributary on the loch. I miss the wee cottage we called home."

"What happened?"

"My da…he was always one fer a cuase, an' when this business with the Brits started, he decided tae do somethin' 'bout it. So began a life on the run, on the water an' land, an' we…I never went back."

"I'd love to see it someday," Jane suggested quietly, watching Maura's face carefully.

The captain smiled at her fondly and nestled in closer to buss a kiss on her chin. "I'd like nothin' more than tae show ye it. Maybe once we've sold the cargo, we kin make a detour 'fore headin' out again."

"Please. You've seen where I came from, fair is fair," Jane joked. Maura stuck her tongue out and yelped when Jane ducked to take it gently between her teeth. She set her hands on her hips and yanked Maura closer to peck her lips until the captain was relaxed under her palms. "Are you done for the night?"

"Mmmm, almost, sweet girl. I just need tae inform Mister Frost on our course fer the night, then I'm all yers."

"Good. I'll be in our cabin, you'd best hurry." Jane's hands rested at the small of Maura's back possessively, holding her in place for a long moment. She kissed the tip of Maura's nose before stepping away and walking toward their cabin, leaving Maura flustered and blinking the haze from her eyes. She shut the door behind her and threw her notebook on the desk to be dealt with later, lighting the few lanterns in their room to disperse the shadows lingering in the corners. She had just shed her shirt and was toying with the end of her breastband when Maura came through the door and shut it decisively, turning the lock as her eyes locked on Jane's.

"You…are a bloody tease, Miss Rizzoli." Her burr rolled over Jane's name in a way that made her shiver as she stalked across the room, boots clicking pointedly on the floor. "An' teases get what they're owed."

She took Jane's head in her hands and kissed the breath from her, moving to her jaw neck shoulder as Jane gasped for air and clawed at her back for purchase. Maura pinned her against the wall and Jane laughed breathily. "I'm getting – a sense of déjà vu."

"Oh? We cannae have that." Maura withdrew long enough to pull Jane away from the wall and steer her toward the bed, falling atop her when the brunette fell onto the mattress with a yelp. She straddled her waist, arms framing her head as she nipped at Jane's neck. "Better?"

"Mmmm, _yes_."

Jane's fingers threaded through her hair to hold her against her throat and Maura disentangled them to pin her wrists by her head, leaning over her to smile toothily down at Jane. "Did I say ye could touch me?" Jane struggled against Maura, but the captain's better angle gave her an edge over the brunette's strength. She entwined their fingers but kept their hands in place as she wiggled her hips enticingly. "Yer in my control, sweet girl. Ye dannae move without my say so, ye ken?"

"Maauuur…"

"Jaaane," she mocked gently. Jane scowled and Maura laughed, kissing her pouting lips. "Stay still, lover."

She loosed Jane's hands and sat up to watch her, making sure she wouldn't move. Jane huffed but remained still, and Maura smiled as she grabbed the end of her breastband. "Well, this willnae do." She pulled a knife from its sheath and smoothly cut the fabric from top to bottom, baring Jane's breasts to the cool evening air. "That's better, isn't it?"

Her lips descended on Jane's skin, teasing and flirting with pain as she worked her way down to her nipples, laving the skin around them without touching them directly. Jane panted but remained still, fingers clenching into fists to stop herself from reaching down and twisting them in Maura's hair. "Please," she said quietly.

"What, sweet girl? Ask me."

"Please…" Her skin flushed scarlet under Maura's knowing gaze and she turned her head to the side as she muttered under her breath.

"Use yer words, Jane."

"Touch me?" Maura cocked an eyebrow and swiped her thumb across her ribs. "Not just…dammit, Maura!" Jane grabbed Maura's hand and dragged it down the plane of her belly to cup over her pants. "Now," she growled, canting her hips into her palm.

Maura's eyes went dark and she leaned back over Jane, leaving her hand pressed to her as her breath blew across her chin. "Awfully demandin' fer bein' on the bottom, aren't ye?" As she spoke, she rhythmically pressed her hand against Jane's pants and interrupted whatever remark was on the tip of her tongue.

Jane's eyes closed and her head rolled to the side, and Maura took the opportunity to slide down her body to nip at the muscle of her lower abdomen. She worked loose the laces and slid her hand inside her pants, holding there until Jane slowly rolled her eyes open. The normal chocolate of her irises was nearly swallowed by her pupil and she rasped, "Why'd you stop?"

"Just waitin' fer ye, dear." Maura leaned down and took her pants in her teeth, dragging them down her thighs with a salacious smile on her lips. Jane gasped and threw her head back, twisting her fingers through Maura's hair and pulling her close as her legs were draped over the edge of the bed.


	18. The Cause of Mankind

So...here we are. Last chapter. I fully admit, I procrastinated, not just because work and social interactions and Life, but because I genuinely hate ending my stories. But, I made myself chip away at it everyday, even if it was only a hundred words. And, here we are. The end, much as I wish it wasn't. But this is a perfect spot to end it, plus I really need to finish my other story (which is only three more chapters if all goes according to plan) and start my Mass Effect story (which is going to be a, pun totally not intended, massive undertaking) and focus on drawing, which I have sorely neglected for the past six months. So, I will be disappearing for a while after my other story is done, but definitely not for good. Just long enough for me to draw everything I've only had time and want to do thumbnails for, then I'll be back. Promise.

On the upside, you guys finally get the scene you've all been waiting for. You've no idea how tempted I was to continue to be a tease, but my more indulgent and...less prone to shameless teasing...side won out.

 **To all of you, you guys are seriously amazing human beings, and you all deserve the best for being such great people. For your support, and fantastic reviews, and the PMs that have made me smile and laugh, I cannot express my gratitude. Thank you all from the depths of my soul.**

Read on!

* * *

 _"Now," she growled, canting her hips into her palm._

 _Maura's eyes went dark and she leaned back over Jane, leaving her hand pressed to her as her breath blew across her chin. "Awfully demandin' fer bein' on the bottom, aren't ye?" As she spoke, she rhythmically pressed her hand against Jane's pants and interrupted whatever remark was on the tip of her tongue._

 _Jane's eyes closed and her head rolled to the side, and Maura took the opportunity to slide down her body to nip at the muscle of her lower abdomen. She worked loose the laces and slid her hand inside her pants, holding there until Jane slowly rolled her eyes open. The normal chocolate of her irises was nearly swallowed by her pupil and she rasped, "Why'd you stop?"_

 _"Just waitin' fer ye, dear." Maura leaned down and took her pants in her teeth, dragging them down her thighs with a salacious smile on her lips. Jane gasped and threw her head back, twisting her fingers through Maura's hair and pulling her close as her legs were draped over the edge of the bed._

* * *

"Land ho!"

Jane ran to the edge of the railing and peered into the distance at a tiny grey dot on the horizon. She heard the excited chatter of the sailors around her as she climbed into the lower rigging and hung haphazardly onto the ropes. It was a week after they'd taken the prize and a strong tailwind had hastened their trip even loaded down as they were. She helped the crewmen unfurl the sails, trying to get as much speed from the lackluster wind as they could so they could make landfall by that evening. She jumped down to the deck from the lower rigging and walked onto the upper deck where Frost and Maura were standing at the table and pointing at the map. "So," she said happily, "where are we putting in?"

"Dungarvan, Ireland. A large town where we should be able tae unload an' get a decent price fer everythin'." Maura looked at Jane from behind a curtain of hair, unusually loose in the breeze. "Are ye ready tae get off the ship?"

"Kind of. I can't wait to feel solid land under me, but…it's kind of grown on me." Jane shrugged and looked around the ship.

"Well, we'll dock fer several days tae unload the goods, take some shore time an' buy some goods 'fore settin' sail again. Ye'll have time tae get yer land legs again." She smiled at Jane and tucked a piece of hair behind her ear.

Jane leaned on the railing, staring out across the water toward the speck of land pensively. "What comes after this?" She asked quietly, making Maura move closer to hear the question.

"Well, generally we set sail again an' head to tae find more Brit ships-"

"Not that," Jane shook her head. "What happens with us? In a week, when you're ready to set out again, in a month when you've made port in some far off place? Where do I fit into all of this?"

Maura searched Jane's face and took her wrist, pulling her below decks, out of sight of the majority of the crew. She pressed Jane against some crates in a shadowed corner, framing her body with her hands planted against the boxes at her back. She leaned in and nuzzled her nose into her throat, pressing kisses to the skin and kneading her hip with one hand until she felt the brunette relax. "You? Ye fit in wherever ye want tae. Ye belong right beside me, but I won't be the one tae tie ye down; that has tae be yer own decision. But ye're more'n welcome tae call my ship yer own…my cabin, my bed…" She slowly worked her way up Jane's throat to her jaw and across her cheek to her lips. They just breathed against each other for a long moment, eyes finding each other in the shadows as Maura pressed closer to Jane and pulled them flush until they could feel each gentle exhalation.

"Ye kin call me yer own, if'n ye want tae." She felt Jane's breath stutter to a stop, dark eyes blinking above hers and long fingers clenching around her waist. Maura boldly nipped Jane's chin and twisted her fingers through her hair. "Think on it, sweet girl. Ye've plenty o' time." With a final peck, Maura escaped into the sun and breathed deeply the salt scented air. She turned her eyes to the dark smear of land slowly growing larger and smiled to herself.

* * *

Jane, Frost, and Maura all walked down the gangplank onto the dock early that evening, melding seamlessly into the bustle of the wharf. Jane clutched her notebook against her hip and held Maura's elbow with her free hand, taking a handful of steps to adjust to the lack of movement beneath her feet. "Is it always like this?"

"Aye, the rockin' motion sticks with ye fer a while, but it fades after a while. Trust me, dear."

The captain smiled at Jane winsomely and Frost chuckled beside them. "Don't let her fool you, the good captain feels it just the same, she's just better at hiding it."

"Now, now, dannae be givin' all o' my secrets away, Mister Frost. A woman's got tae have her mysteries."

He only rolled his eyes as they made their way away from the docks and onto the mainland. The smell of salt mingled with yeast from a nearby bakery and the sounds of screeching seabirds was replaced with the melodic chaos of an Irish market in full swing despite the hour. They dodged vendors hawking their wares and market goers haggling for better prices, weaving toward a tavern on the other side of the square.

When they walked through the door, a frazzled barmaid waved her hand at a corner table and they sat, leaning back as she set three mugs of water before them. "Dinner's lamb stew tonight, bread an' ale. Rooms are rented by the night." Her thick accent took a moment for Jane to decipher, but she nodded and the barmaid left them to themselves. The noise in the tavern allowed them to speak freely and Jane opened her notebook to a page littered with numbers and figures.

"Okay, so do we have a person to meet for the cargo we took?"

"Aye, Mister Korsak got in contact with a local merchant we've dealt with before who is…unscrupulous 'bout where his goods come from. We're tae meet him here within the hour." The barmaid returned with their meals and Frost dug in as Jane stirred the thick stew. "He's an older gentleman, an' the last time I met him, he had a well kept beard an' sported glasses. We should have enough time tae eat 'fore he gets here, so tuck in, dear."

They were just finishing their meals, sopping up the last of the broth with the hearty bread when an older man in fine clothes came through the door and made a beeline for them after a moment scanning the room. He sat perfunctorily at the remaining chair, putting his back to the room, and steepled his fingers. He made eye contact with each of them and then focused on Maura, smiling thinly over his thin rimmed glasses. "Captain Isles. Lovely to see you again."

"You as well, Mister Callahan. T'was quite a while since we last met."

"Aye, it was. What have you to sell?" Maura outlined the majority of the goods they had taken and Jane watched him nod and hum until she was done speaking. He leaned over the table and tapped a finger on the scarred wood. "Sound like quite the haul. I can sell all of it, but some will take time. For the whole load, I'll give you…two hundred gold pieces."

Maura sat back and Jane squeezed her leg once, and Maura sighed theatrically. "Ye see, Mister Callahan, that sounds lovely, really, it does-"

"You won't find a better price, Captain, I can assure you of that."

The merchant sat back smugly and Jane took over, leaning over her closed notebook. "Actually, we can. You're just the fastest way to sell everything, sir."

"And you are?"

"The Captain's…accountant." Jane smiled mirthlessly. "I keep records of the ship's expenses and income, including the cargo she takes overseas. And when we acquired this latest shipment, I made a detailed list of the cargo onboard, as well as the general prices for the goods."

"And if you knew anything about Ireland, you'd know that many of these goods are commonplace here and won't fetch much."

"Yes, but much of what we have is also unavailable in large quantities here or isn't here at all." Callahan opened his mouth and Jane rolled over his words, mouth firming in determination. "Now, we can either sell the bulk of it to you and everyone walks away content, or we can sell piece by piece to everyone in this town. Either way, we get our money, but the latter option takes more time and leaves you out of the equation. Your choice."

She sat back and stared him down fearlessly. Maura surreptitiously slipped her hand beneath the table and squeezed her leg as Jane watched Callahan, who narrowed his eyes and straightened. "You wouldn't be able to talk to enough merchants to sell everything, or for as much as I'm willing to pay."

"Maybe," Jane shrugged insouciantly, "but we'd still make out better than you."

When he didn't move, Jane made to stand from the table. She had just grabbed her notebook when the merchant's large hand covered it and drew her attention to him. "There's no need to be hasty, I'm certain we can come to an accord," he said silkily.

Jane barely withheld her eye roll as she sat back down and opened the book to the page filled with figures and estimates, tapping a section with her fingertip. "I'm sure we can. You offered two hundred gold pieces initially, right? I know that these items here _alone_ are worth that much on the market, and even taking into account the price difference due to the regional economy, I could still sell them to a merchant for three quarters that amount and they would take it. So. Let's try again. Say… one thousand gold pieces?"

Callahan sputtered and even Frost jerked at the number, but Jane kept his gaze unflinchingly. Maura's grip on her drink tightened and her hazel eyes flicked over to Jane curiously. "Are you out of your mind, woman? That would put me out of business; there's no way I'd be able to make a profit!"

"So make a counter offer."

"Four hundred."

"Better, but not quite. Eight hundred."

"Four hundred," he repeated stubbornly.

Jane shook her head and flipped to a different page. "I can't do that. I'll tell you what, when we took the cargo onboard, there were some…delicate, items brought on. I'll sell you those if you give me eight hundred."

Callahan arched his brow disbelievingly. "And what could possibly be worth that much?"

"Muskets." The look on Callahan's face was almost enough to send Maura into a fit of laughter, and Jane ran with his shock. "Almost three dozen, brand new by the looks of them, and lead and gunpowder to supplement them. What say you?"

Callahan blinked and cleared his throat, then held out a shaky hand. "You have a deal."

* * *

Maura and Jane watched Frost walk with Callahan toward the docks to check over the cargo and turned the other way down the street. They walked side by side, weaving effortlessly through the throng of people in wordless accord. Once they had lost themselves in the busy market, Jane linked their hands and leaned in toward Maura. "Don't worry, Frost knows to only give him half of the weapons we got."

"Ye had me worried, Jane. Ye didnae tell me what ye were gon'tae do."

"I didn't know until I met him." She shrugged and they separated briefly to go around a duo arguing over some vegetables in the road. "I know merchants, and I know men. I had to wait and see how he reacted before I could do anything. Besides, we still made out better than I thought we would."

"Oh?"

"Most middle men would give about five hundred gold pieces for everything we took, including all of the weapons and munitions. He's not getting half of the gunpowder stores and muskets we took, and Frost will make sure we get all eight hundred pieces."

Maura looked over at Jane with confusion in her eyes. "Then how?..."

"You see, my dear Maura, the wonderful part about dealing with merchants? They get greedy. I said we had weapons, but I didn't tell him _what_ weapons."

Realization dawned in Maura's eyes and she grinned, squeezing Jane's hand. "The Brown Bess…"

"And we keep the Ferguson's," Jane grinned. "I don't know about you, but those seem a _little_ better than the Bess's. He gets a fraction of the lead and powder, and we sail away fully armed for another battle."

Maura bussed Jane's cheek with a kiss and they left the market, disappearing into the dusky shadows between the buildings lining the square. Jane broke the silence after a few minutes, looking around at the tall buildings leaning over them. "Not that I don't enjoy walking through unfamiliar towns, but do we have a destination in mind?"

"Aye."

"And…are you going to share?"

"Nope."

Jane huffed and Maura laughed quietly, leading her through the tangle of streets toward the outskirts of town. They met few people, most taking the main roads to their homes and avoiding the shadowed alcoves they strode down. Maura stopped in front of a dilapidated house somewhat isolated from the others by an untended garden and brushline, resting her hand on the wooden gate out front.

"Maura?"

She didn't answer, only opened the latch and led them up the stone walkway and around the side to the rear door. She knocked briskly on the door and they waited only a few seconds before it was opened by a small, thin woman with tired eyes and a warm, albeit wary, smile.

"Can I help you?"

Her decidedly British accent made Jane raise a brow, but Maura only stepped into the light of the room and smiled unguardedly. "Mum."

Jane gaped at the back of Maura's head as the woman gasped and yanked her into a tight embrace. "Maura, my girl! My daughter's returned!"

"Fer 'bout a week, mum." Maura's voice was thick as she tightly hugged the woman in return.

"I don't care if it's only a day, you're here _now._ " She dragged Maura inside and Jane followed quietly, shutting the door and facing the kitchen with a contemplative expression on her face. The woman was cupping Maura's cheeks and staring up into her eyes, studying her thoroughly. "You look tired, daughter."

"No more'n ye, mum. Have ye been sleepin' at all since I last saw ye?"

She laughed a little and turned away toward a kettle on the range top. "Here and there, love. I mostly live off tea and coffee; I'm surprised my blood isn't made completely of the stuff at this point." She pulled three cups out of a cupboard and set them on the table, then poured the water into them and stirred the ground herbs into it.

She gestured at the long table for them to sit, turning her washed out blue eyes on Jane after they had settled in their chairs. "I don't mean to ignore you, dear, but I've not seen my daughter in nearly a year. I'm Hope." She held her hand out and Jane took it firmly, feeling the calluses on her palm.

"Jane, it's nice to meet you."

"I imagine it's rather confusing," Hope said with a smile, "seeing her walk up and hug a strange woman without a word to you."

"Maybe a little." Jane smiled over her cup at Maura and took a sip of the hot, sweet drink.

Maura glanced away sheepishly. "I didnae mean tae keep it from ye, sweet girl, but I couldnae be certain she would be here. Da doesnae always take you with him on his travels."

"No, he doesn't, but with the unrest in Britain recently, and how his beloved Scotland is being drawn into the fray, he felt it best we both leave for a while." Maura nodded and they turned to other topics, catching each other up on their lives from the past year and including Jane, drawing her into the conversation as Hope asked where she had come from and how she ended up traveling with Maura.

"Well, it's kind of an interesting story…" She scratched the back of her neck and looked over at Maura. "She helped me get out of a bad situation, and offered to take me away. And I haven't looked back since."

Hope's eyes were drawn in worry, but she smiled at the affectionate look Maura threw at Jane. "And here you are, hale and hearty and acclimating to sea life?"

"Yeah, it's been…interesting, but I wouldn't trade the experience for anything."

"Will you be going with her when she leaves?"

"Yeah, I'll go wherever she's going." Hope watched them smile at each other, eyes flicking between their soppy smiles with interest. She hid her grin behind her cup and tilted her head back as she heard footsteps behind her.

"Da!"

Maura leapt up from the table and ran into the man's arms, nearly disappearing into the muscle of his hug. He grinned down at her, large hands framing her shoulders as he pushed her back. "Maura, my girl, ye look dandy! The sea's been treatin' ye well?" His heavy accent curled around the words in a way that clearly reminded Jane of Maura's tone, although hers was softer from the influence of Hope's own accent. He looked over the table, eyes softening as they landed on Hope and sharpening when they stopped on Jane's face. "An' who might this be?"

"Da, this is Jane." Maura pulled away and held her hand out for Jane to take, drawing her out of her chair and toward them both. "Jane, this is my da, Paddy Doyle. He's where I got all my rogueish charm from."

She winked at Jane as she held her hand out for Paddy to shake. Jane smiled over at Maura as Paddy kept a hold of her hand. "Jane, it's a pleasure to meet you."

"Colonist? Yer accent is different though…"

"I lived in the colonies, yes, but my family came from Italy; my brothers and I were the first to speak English in our family." Maura stepped back and laid her hand on Jane's waist, smiling up at her reassuringly. "I left them to go with Maura."

"Tis no small feat tae leave one's family."

"No, but it was necessary." Jane's tone left no room to ask more questions, and she returned to her seat to sip at the lukewarm drink. Maura sat beside her, hand landing on her thigh beneath the table to rub across her leg soothingly.

Paddy poured himself a cup and sat beside Hope, turning the conversation away from family. "So, how long are ye stayin'?"

"We just put in this afternoon, da; we'll probably stay a week 'fore settin' out again."

"Any ideas where?"

"None yet. I've nae had a moment tae discuss it with my crew."

"A word o' caution, then; avoid the colonies fer the time bein'."

Jane sat up straighter, cup abandoned in favor of watching Paddy. "Why?"

"There's word outtae Britain that the King's sendin' soldiers over tae quiet the dissent that's popped up recently. If ye ask me, war's comin' fast." An excited gleam came into Paddy's eyes as he leaned over the table and lowered his voice. "I hope those colonists kick their arses, truth be told. Mark my words though, by the end o' the year, there'll be fightin'."

Jane briefly met Maura's eyes and then checked out of the rest of the conversation, sipping her drink and staring pensively at the tabletop. Maura got up nearly an hour later and Hope asked with a longing expression, "Won't you stay? We have spare rooms upstairs."

Maura looked over at Jane, who was still staring through the scarred wood, and nodded. "Aye, we will, mum. Jane?"

She jerked her head up and nearly upended the half full cup into her lap. "What? Sorry, what did you say?"

Maura smiled and extended her hand for Jane to take, drawing her to her feet. "Do ye care tae stay the night here? It's past dark, an' we dannae have anywhere o' import tae be on the morrow."

"What about Frost?"

"I think we kin trust Mister Frost tae keep the ship afloat fer one night."

That drew a smile from Jane and she nodded as she twined her fingers through the spaces between Maura's. "Okay."

"Wonderful," Hope said, "Follow me?" She led them upstairs into a small room at the end of a hallway, lit with a lamp that cast light across the expansive bed covered in soft looking blankets and the sparse furnishings that lined the walls. "Our room is at the other end of the hall; if you need anything, just-"

"Knock 'fore ye barge in, girl," Paddy said with a smirk. Jane's face flushed as Maura giggled and made a face somewhere between amusement and horror. "We dannae wan'tae scar ye, now do we?"

"It's too late fer that, da."

She shook her head at him and he laughed, wrapping an arm around Hope and pulling her close. "Aye, I daresay it is. Well, bear that last time in mind then, daughter, an' sleep well." He pulled Hope from the doorway and shut it behind them, leaving the two women standing in the middle of the bedroom and listening to the other couple's quiet laughter retreat down the hallway.

Jane glanced at Maura from the corner of her eye, watching the blush travel up her neck until she broke down into a gale of laughter. Maura glared over at her and Jane fended off her half-hearted smacks, eventually pinning Maura's wrists at her sides as she stared down at her with faux seriousness. "Now, is that any way to treat your lover?"

"I kin say with _utmost_ certainty, _lover_ ," Maura's lips curled around the word seductively as her eyes danced wickedly, "that ye didnae mind me treatin' ye _much_ more roughly on the ship." She nipped at Jane's lower lip playfully and drew her back toward the bed by her shirt, sitting delicately on the edge as Jane straddled her legs. "I'd give ye a reenactment, but I'm afraid my parents wouldnae be able tae look us in the eyes over the table in the morning. If I recall," she grasped Jane's hips and drew her roughly against her abdomen, starting a slow grind that Jane eagerly picked up on , "ye couldnae keep yer voice down, an' I ended up gaggin' ye." Jane buried her face against Maura's throat, muting a whine with her lips to her neck. Maura's laugh sent shivers down her spine, fingers likewise tripping across her shoulders and sending goose bumps racing across her skin. "Do I need tae do that again?"

"No," Jane gasped, pushing Maura onto her back with a hand to her shoulder. She kneeled over the captain like some dark goddess to be paid homage to, lifting her shirt over her head and throwing it away carelessly as Maura planted her hands on the back of her thighs to keep her close. Laying her palms flat on the bed on either side of Maura's head, Jane leaned down and pressed their lips together. She lowered herself to an elbow and carded her fingers through Maura's hair, cradling her neck as she lowered her head to her jaw, kissing down her throat to her clavicle. Maura made a needy sound when teeth bit on the thin skin and Jane reared back with a victorious expression.

"What was that about being loud?" She whispered against her lips. Maura grabbed her cheeks and kissed her hard, trying to flip their positions. Jane planted herself and locked her thighs around Maura's hips, keeping her pinned in place as she grinned against her lips. "Behave," she rasped. Maura leaned up and bit her lip, eyes flashing as the brunette pinned her shoulders. "I promise it'll be worth your while," she assured the captain, swaying her hips enticingly.

Maura's eyebrow lifted curiously and Jane grinned as she descended her torso. "First, this has to go." She plucked at the hem of her shirt and Maura obligingly let her pull the shirt over her head before scooting up the bed and laying back down. Jane settled herself on her hips again and her fingers danced along the ladder of her ribs, teasing at the underside of her breasts until she was wriggling and fighting her natural impulse to arch into the fleeting contact.

"Patience."

"I cannae _be_ any more patient or I swear I'll go outtae my damn mind," Maura hissed, fingers twisting in the covers.

Jane's eyes danced with amusement as she tapped a finger against her lips in thought, waiting for Maura's face to twist with ire before she nodded. "Okay. I suppose you've been good."

Maura's retort was cut off when her breasts were covered with Jane's palms, fingers kneading the soft skin and occasionally skirting up to play with her nipples. She sighed in pleasure when a warm mouth covered her breast, tongue licking out across the skin to tease her nipple. Long fingers with new calluses played with the laces of her pants, flitting across her lower abdomen and blindly tracing old scars as a welcome weight settled over her thighs. "C'mon now, Jane, surely ye aren't getting' gun shy _now?_ "

A hoarse chuckle her only answer, Maura had barely opened her eyes before she felt the fingers at her belt line dip beneath her pants and brush across her sex. Blown wide pupils watched her raptly as her pants were dragged down her legs and dropped unceremoniously beside the bed. Jane straddled her thighs again and quickly replaced her mouth around a nipple as her hand cupped Maura's sex again, loving the low moan that reached her ears from above her. She slid two fingers through her arousal and started a slow rhythm that Maura rolled her hips to, nails digging into Jane's bicep to ground herself as the pleasure mounted.

Jane covered her lips as she moaned again, grinning against her skin as Maura wrapped her legs around her waist. "Keep your voice down, Maur," she whispered, twisting her fingers teasingly and listening to the barely suppressed whimper catch in her throat. Gradually, Maura's muscles coiled and she gripped greedily at Jane's fingers, panting into her ear as her orgasm washed over her. Her arms flopped bonelessly onto the bed, chest heaving for air as Jane curled into her side and drew patterns on her slick skin, pressing random kisses to her shoulder until she turned her head and pecked her nose.

"Thank ye."

"For what?"

"Stayin'."

Jane smiled at her and cupped the back of her head as she drew her into a kiss, tangling their legs together as Maura slipped into sleep. "Always."

* * *

Jane woke up with the dawn and realized she was still tangled together with Maura. At some point during the night, they had tangled themselves further into each other beneath the blanket and the captain's head was tucked beneath her chin, warm breath washing across her breast as she slept. Jane flexed her fingers beneath Maura's body and sighed happily, watching the sunlight brighten through the window until she felt her stir.

"Mmm…mornin'." Maura's voice burred throatily as she stretched and burrowed deeper into Jane's arms, laying a lazy kiss to her throat. Jane smiled at the tousled hair tickling her skin, carding her fingers through the strands until Maura set her chin against her sternum and looked up at her. "How long've ye been awake?"

"Not long, just laying here thinking." Maura hummed and tucked her fingers beneath Jane's back, warming them in the early morning chill. "Your dad…" She scratched at Maura's back with a small sigh, staring at the ceiling in worry.

Maura watched her throat bob as she swallowed and nuzzled against her chest. "What?"

"What he said last night…about Britain sending soldiers to the colonies."

Realization dawned in Maura's eyes and she shifted onto her hands and knees to stare down at Jane. She brushed wild curls away from her face with a gentle smile, tracing her lip with her thumb. "Ye wantae go back."

"They're my brothers," Jane said, worry and determination warring for dominance in her eyes.

"Aye, an' they're important tae ye, so they're important tae me as well. We still need tae resupply, but we kin set sail within the week fer the colonies. With any luck, we'll beat the worst of the trouble an' be able tae help them."

Jane regarded her with dark, inscrutable eyes, hands splayed across Maura's back to hold her in place as she searched her eyes for a long moment. "You'd…do that for me? Go all the way back to the colonies for my brothers?" Her eyebrows furrowed in confusion. "Why?"

Maura smiled down at her with brightly shining eyes. "Jane, I'm beginnin' tae think that I'd follow you anywhere." She kissed Jane deeply and settled against her, using her elbows to keep her upper body elevated so she could talk. "Ye could ask me tae sail fer the ends o' the world, sweet girl, an' I'd only want tae know when ye wanted tae leave."

Jane's eyes glowed in the early light of dawn and she wrapped her arms fully around Maura, drawing her against her. "Thank you," she whispered against her ear. "I just want them to be safe. No one else there matters, but they're the only family I have left."

Maura smiled against the crook of her neck and nestled closer. "Kin is important, but family is more'n blood."

"Yeah, it is." Jane squeezed Maura's waist and smiled when she felt the kiss against her shoulder. "Maura?"

"Hmm?"

"I'd follow you anywhere, you know that, right? You wouldn't have to go to the end of the earth alone; I'd be right beside you." Silence reigned as the women held each other tighter and the sun came up over the horizon.

Eventually, Maura untangled herself from Jane's grasp and sat up on the bed. Jane grinned at the view afforded to her and Maura smirked, stretching lazily to give her a better view of her breasts and flexing abdomen. "I dannae know 'bout ye, but 'tis a new day, an' we have much tae do. If we're tae leave fer the colonies anytime soon, we need tae get a move on."

Jane pouted and made a motion to grab at Maura's waist, holding her in place as her thumbs traced circles on smooth skin. "But I'm comfy, and I like the view."

Maura laid her hands over Jane's, tapping her knuckles lightly. "Well…if ye insist." She settled onto Jane's hips and let her hands wander, watching from under hooded lids as Jane's expression wavered between needy and awestruck.

Jane's hands paused on her thighs, kneading the muscles gently. "Maur…if you don't want to risk going ba-"

"Don't ye dare tae finish that sentence, Jane Rizzoli. We'll go back tae get yer brothers if we kin, an' then we'll set sail again."

"Where to?"

Maura leaned over Jane, framing her face with her hands, and the sunlight spun her hair into gold as it fell around them. She smiled down at her, eyes glinting green in the light as their noses brushed together. "Afterward? We'll go wherever the seven winds take us. Life will be our grand adventure, whether it be in the Americas or Europe, on land or on the sea. With ye at my side, we kin do anythin'."

* * *

Thank all of you, again. I wish you the best and hope you all have a wonderful week. If you ever need anything, whether it's a sound board, a place to rant, a friendly word, or a shoulder to cry on, don't hesitate to PM me. I'm always available, and will return your message as soon as I can.

~Cheyanne


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